Passing the Point of No Return
by calladragon
Summary: Post ACH. Lisbon must deal with a darker Jane and her feelings about Lorelei. Or not deal with either situation if that's what she chooses.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer for the entire story: I do not own any rights to The Mentalist as they belong to Bruno Heller. No copyright infringements are intended and I am not being paid in any way to write this story.

My Muse is AWOL on the other stories for the present so we're wandering through a darker place that will hopefully lighten before we're done. ~Calla

#

Sweeping into the mostly deserted break room to fix her sixth cup of coffee of the day, Lisbon could feel Jane's eyes boring into her. That was the mostly part and she'd had enough with the disapproving stares already. She knew he thought she drank entirely too much coffee. He'd murmured about it for years. He'd even threatened to take action when she'd gone on her last caffeine fueled all-nighter and driven him to distraction though they'd solved the case at the crack of dawn. _They'd_ solved it, meaning her team, with no thanks to Jane since his spidey senses had suddenly gone MIA. Lisbon resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him childishly in response.

Turning her thoughts back to coffee, Lisbon ruminated on the demise of her personal coffee machine earlier in the day. Her beloved top of the line stainless steel number with all the bells and whistles she'd splurged for a month ago. The one in her office no one else dared touch for fear of losing life or limb. The one coming with the stainless steel holder filled with all those neat little cups of flavored coffee she'd always wanted to try. The ones she was thoroughly enjoying with a smattering of cream from her mini-fridge and sugar from her grandmother's antique sugar bowl. She'd been in coffee connoisseur heaven the last five weeks.

Now, she'd been catapulted straight to hell, not purgatory, h-e-l-l. As for her coffee maker, it had suddenly up and died with a painful sputter not two freaking hours ago. She'd stared at it in utter disbelief for a full five minutes then felt like a total idiot for fifteen more. That thing had worked just fine this morning only to go on the fritz not long after she'd noted Jane loitering about suspiciously.

Lisbon ignored the sensible part of her brain reminding her there would have been nothing suspicious about his actions on any other day. Just today, when she suddenly found herself with a dead machine and boxes upon boxes of prepackaged mini tubs of brew that were basically useless for the foreseeable future. Until she lost her mind a second time and bought another one of those elitist coffee makers everyone including Wieseman in Narc coveted. Her charge card would never be the same.

Then again, it was a splurge she couldn't really justify since she could go to the break room like everyone else. Or bring her functional old coffee maker from home. Besides, it was a defenseless machine Jane would probably just melt the insides of when she wasn't looking again. She wasn't sure if he'd done it to royally pee her off because they weren't getting along at the moment or if he'd reacted out of some misguided desire to protect her from herself. Truthfully, she didn't know he'd done it for sure; but, she wasn't going there. She preferred thinking he had. It made the evil Lisbon in her head happier than thinking she'd bought the one defect in the whole store. She was a cop. Her luck was better than that. She knew it was.

An ugly bark of laughter passed Lisbon's lips at the thought the moment she got the first piece of corroborating evidence, that stuffed shirt of a golden haired Jerkosaurus she was staring at was going to wish he was dead. She didn't care what Minelli had to say about it or how he felt about violence between agents. As a consultant, Jane didn't really fall under the protection of that hallowed rule. She knew because she'd checked the all knowing rules and regs book. The way she saw it, after judicious research, was Jane was just a free range chicken while she was a circling hawk waiting to strike when he least expected it. And strike she would.

The moment she got that proof, she was dragging the creep by those floppy golden curls way past needing a cut three weeks ago to the ladies' room where she was going to stuff his head in the nearest toilet and flush again and again until someone saw fit to stop her. Or he drowned. Whichever event came first. Somehow, Lisbon didn't think there would be all that many takers for that particular challenge any time soon.

She mentally tallied the list of everyone who was ticked with Jane at the moment. He'd alienated almost everyone in the office recently and without her smoothing the ruffled feathers, it would take a while for the worm to charm his way back into almost everyone's good graces. She honestly wasn't holding her breath.

LaRoche was disgusted with Jane for sleeping with Lorelei and complicating his dealings with the press. Minelli was put out with him for being unforgivably snarky with a wealthy suspect on a totally different case and refusing to apologize. Jane was on the outs with the team because he'd let her get blindsided by that whole insane "Lover" thing when all he'd had to do was tell her what he'd done. As crazy as it sounded, she would have understood eventually. She always did. Van Pelt hated his guts right now because she knew, being a woman, exactly how deep that betrayal cut.

She, Lisbon, wasn't too happy with Jane because he'd been a dark, cruel s.o.b. lately much as he'd been so long ago when she'd rather effectively stopped his descent in the shadows. Even to her. She hadn't liked that character years ago and she didn't like him now. Not one bit. And because she thought he'd murdered her coffee machine. In her opinion, all of that was more than enough without the Lorelei baggage that wasn't going away. The baggage she wasn't yet ready to look at much less exorcise any time soon.

Swiping the next to the last of the apple glazed Crullers Henderson brought in this morning off the plate, Lisbon knew Jane thought she ate entirely too much sugar too. Well, he could stuff it. This was her first doughnut of the day. Who was he to talk anyway? Though she shared a cup every now and then, or she used to, Lisbon thought Jane drank entirely too much tea. He was such a prissy sissy at times and now was one of them.

"Got something to say, Jane?" Schooling her features into a sterner expression, Lisbon turned to face her consultant. She couldn't resist dipping her doughnut into her cup before taking a bite followed by a long, lip licking gulp of coffee. She smiled at Jane's very visible cringe.

"We both know you drink a little too much of that stuff. Other than that I'm just having my afternoon tea." Lisbon almost laughed out loud at the snippy tone.

The man was so full of it. The next thing he'd do is try to make her feel like their being on the skids was her fault when nothing could be farther from the truth. She wasn't the one who'd slept with Lorelei and thought to hide it. Well, maybe not thought to hide it; but, he'd certainly not been man enough to put on his big boy briefs and own up to what he'd done. Oh, no, he'd preferred to let that foul mouthed harpy spring it on her instead. That whole unpleasant 'Lover' thing she found hard to forgive.

"Yeah, well, you drink at little too much of that stuff, too." Lisbon resisted the urge to do some cringing of her own at how childish they sounded. Like a couple of toddlers facing off across the sandbox shovels in hand.

"Lisbon, honestly, is this what we've been reduced to? We sound like kindergarteners scrapping over a toy." He looked like one, too, with that lost expression on his face.

Feeling the weak part of her beginning to melt, Lisbon forced herself to remember the petulant expression just on his face. She reminded herself quite forcefully that that was the Jane she'd been dealing with the past six weeks. The curt, cutting, waspish Jane she'd gladly let retreat back into himself in favor of self-preservation. She couldn't have stopped him if she'd tried. Not like she had before. Dealing with Lorelei had made him a different man. A difficult man and a man she didn't enjoy being around.

She needed to remember that when he showed hints of vulnerability. When she felt the iceberg in her soul beginning to thaw as a part of her wanted it to. Now wasn't the time. She'd only get hurt a whole lot worse than she'd already been. This Jane wasn't interested in anything but getting Red John and using Lorelei to do it. He'd use every trick in his arsenal and play any game he believed he must. All bets were off when it came to trapping a particular serial killer.

Lisbon wasn't a hundred percent sure Jane couldn't force himself to sleep with Lorelei again if he thought that would get the job done. She wasn't a hundred percent sure some primeval part of him wouldn't enjoy it. Even knowing what he did and the self loathing that would follow. Not that he'd get that opportunity. Everyone knew he wouldn't and not that she truly believed he wanted to. But, the thought still made Lisbon want to puke.

What she did know for certain was Jane would kiss Lorelei smack on the lips and act like he meant it. She'd seen him in action more than once. She absently shook her head at the thought in his current frame of mind Jane would destroy her without meaning to and be sorry after the fact. She wasn't remotely interested in actively participating in any of that.

"Yeah, Jane, at the moment I think it is." Lisbon said as she chewed that last bite of Cruller and swept out of the break room coffee in hand knowing his eyes were following her every move.

Stopping by the bull pen, Lisbon summoned her team into her office for a meeting Jane wasn't invited to. They'd be watching the videos of his latest visit to Lorelei. The visit he'd so recently come back from. It was the way Lisbon spent most of her afternoons. Watching the tapes she'd promised Jane never to watch. She'd known at the time it was a promise she couldn't keep. They'd both known. Reviewing them was part of her job and something she'd always done alone before today.

For some reason, the thought of doing that now seriously turned her stomach so she was doing it surrounded by her team instead. Whatever they saw, Rigsby, Van Pelt, and Cho were adults and they could handle it. Watching her team wriggle out comfortable seats around her desk, Lisbon conveniently ignored the reality there was a reason she watched these videos behind locked doors…she usually broke down before they were done.

Clicking the play button and watching the integration room fill her screen Lisbon reminded herself she wouldn't be doing that today. She couldn't. Her team would kill Jane if she did and, even as angry as she was, she didn't want that to happen. They wouldn't like jail at all.

They really wouldn't.


	2. Chapter 2

Idonthaveaname – Thanks for the review and, nope, no plans to incorporate that particular kiss into the story anywhere. ~Calla

#

"Here, Lisbon." Lisbon looked up as Jane sat the unwieldy box he was carrying on her desk openly surprised she'd let him into her office after hours. In this instance, she could almost hear his thoughts churning through her head. A not always pleasant side affect of knowing him so long.

Lisbon acknowledged they were still on lousy terms even after that confrontation in the break room and it was mostly Jane's fault. His dealings with the team weren't much better. Actually, they were far worse and everyone knew it. He wasn't on much better footing with either Minelli or LaRoche. He'd worked hard the last few weeks to get there. In fact, Virgil was deliberately avoiding him and LaRoche would only refer to her consultant as "him." Lisbon had similar moments. Jane was doing a pretty good job of alienating almost everyone at the CBI. Though it wasn't entirely deliberate, he didn't seem to care.

Truthfully, everything was rather bleak at the moment with his close personal relationships though not entirely unexpected on his part. Even Lisbon had a breaking point and her team was tenaciously loyal. Rigsby, Van Pelt, and Cho had circled the wagon train at the first sight of trouble between them. They'd not hesitated in showing exaclty where their loyalty lay. Lisbon resisted the urge to curve her lips in a slight smile in answer to the knowing look in Jane's eyes. He knew she was mirroring his thoughts in her head. It wasn't something she could do very often.

Though no one would ever completely understand the man or anticipate most of his moves, there were parts of Jane she knew much too well. Like the intensely personal Jane he'd gradually allowed her access to over their years of casually hanging out together. It was that Jane who blindly gripped her hand in times of stress and willingly allowed her to do the same. And that was the Jane who'd known exactly what would happen when he pushed their relationship past the shattering point. Lisbon wasn't particularly empathetic to his current plight for that reason. Jane had willingly made the bed he found himself wallowing in. That it totally reeked was his problem.

Smirking at Jane's soft dismissing snort as he absorbed the unsympathetic hardness of her eyes, Lisbon knew the moment his thoughts changed direction yet again and she knew exactly what he was thinking. The self-absorbed prickly burr in her butt was wondering why she was still camping out in her office a good ninety minutes after he'd left and a full two hours after her team departed. Yes, it was true their newest case was a gut wrencher everyone wanted closed as soon as possible. But, that didn't explain her overzealousness. There must be another cause.

He knew as well as she did that the team had left hours ago because there wasn't anything else they could do at the moment. Nor were they being driven to find that illusive clue. For the most part they were being left alone to work the case as they saw fit. The victim wasn't anyone of wealth or stature. And her case hardly qualified as "high profile" in the eyes of their bosses. However, there was still significant air play on the local stations though not enough to pressure her or the higher ups unduly. There really wasn't any logical reason for her to still be here instead of home painting her toenails or doing yoga or whatever she did to pass her lonely nights.

Jane was momentarily amused, that of all the ways he imagined Lisbon spending her nights, it was never with a man. He didn't stop to ponder the significance of that. It wasn't like she wasn't a vital, appealing woman. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Even he'd recognized that a long time ago.

Lisbon could have informed Jane exactly why she was still haunting the CBI's dark corridors; but, she wouldn't. He didn't need to know she was finishing the last of the dreaded paper work she hadn't had to do in a while. Actually, he did need to know since he was the cause of every bit of it. And she would tell him later when she was much, much calmer. At the moment, she wouldn't. She'd just go off on him for all of his foolishness and that wouldn't make anything better, only worse. Making things worse wouldn't benefit anyone.

"What's that, Jane?" Lisbon knew darned well what it was by the box; but, she wanted to hear him say it. Or she thought she did. With Jane that box could be anything.

"It's exactly what you think. Though I didn't magically melt your coffee maker or perpetuate any of the other ridiculous means of machine assassination your devious mind has concocted the last few weeks, I have behaved badly and caused you unnecessary stress. Consider that a peace offering." Jane nodded towards the box.

"That's a two hundred and fifty dollar peace offering, Jane." Lisbon replied. She should know.

In a moment of weakness, she'd priced that model recently and almost fallen. Mercifully, Van Pelt had interrupted before she'd hit the shopping cart button proceeding through her moment of insanity and the resulting guilt. Buyers remorse be damned, she'd have kept that machine if she'd bought it. Now, it seemed, all of that was moot.

"Yeah, well, I've been behaving badly for a while. I think it's a well deserved reward." Jane looked off somewhere over Lisbon's head reluctant to admit he could be a jackass upon occasion.

"Yes, you have." Lisbon agreed though she wouldn't tell him exactly what he'd been since his return from Vegas and "jackass" didn't cover it. It didn't even begin to suffice.

Doing so wouldn't be ladylike. Then again she wasn't all that ladylike on a good day; but, she really didn't need to lower herself to call her consultant all the fitting names flickering through her head he'd surely heard a million times before. It also wouldn't make her feel any better so why bother? He'd just ignore her anyway. Like most people, Jane could invoke selective memory at will. It was one of his more frustrating attributes.

"Then you'll keep it?" Lisbon knew the covetous look in her eyes gave her away.

"Yeah, Jane, I think I will. It almost makes up for the two day suspension you nearly got me a couple of weeks ago." And the one she'd almost gotten a couple of weeks before that.

The B.L. Jane had calmed down greatly in that department over the years though not completely. The A.L. Jane was up to every one of his old tricks and seemingly unrepentant. Maybe he wasn't as unrepentant as she'd thought. Either way, he'd cost her a lot more than a measly two fifty over the years so she was accepting his gift in spite of the petty voice in her head begging her to turn it down. She wasn't _that_ mad at Jane. Not when it came to the number sitting on her desk. She could already smell the love being released from one of those tiny plastic cups.

"I've already apologized, Lisbon, though I did nothing wrong." Lisbon smirked as Jane defended himself as he always did.

"You called one of the Governor's oldest friends a child molesting sociopath to his face at a formal garden party, Jane. I'd say that hardly qualifies as doing nothing in anyone's book." Lisbon reminded him.

"I wasn't _wrong_, Lisbon." Lisbon rolled her eyes not wanting to play the semantics game. Technically, no, Jane hadn't been wrong as the man had seduced a not quite fifteen year old girl. However, how he'd handled the situation was.

"No, you weren't in the eyes of the law; but, the man's going to a psych ward not a jail cell and that makes all the difference in the world to the people who count." Lisbon reminded him.

"Yeah, I guess it does though the only reason for that is he has connections most nut jobs don't." Jane reminded Lisbon in turn as he watched her open the lid on the box and draw the coffee maker from its depths.

"While true, that's how it is in the real world, Jane, and you know it. The charge was statutory rape not child molestation." Like that made it any better in either of their books.

"Yeah, well, same difference in his case." Jane snarked over the dreaded semantics always coming into play.

While Lisbon agreed in her head, she wasn't dignifying that with a response. Jane didn't need any encouragement meandering down that road. It was best dropped while they were ahead. She was already quite familiar with how conversations like this could come back and bite her on the butt. They'd done so plenty of times where Jane was concerned.

"Did you go see Lorelei today?" Lisbon had yet to get the dreaded video so she honestly didn't know. Truthfully, she hadn't checked to see if one was there as she knew it most likely was because she didn't want to see it.

"Briefly. She wasn't very communicative so I didn't stay long." Jane stared at an imaginary speck of dirt under his fingernails. "Are you going to watch that video as you have all the rest you promised you wouldn't?" He asked.

"Yeah, Jane, I am. I don't have a choice as reviewing your interviews comes with the territory." He knew her job description as well as she did.

"I can tell you now, there's not much to see. The closer it feels we're getting to her impending doom, the less willing Lorelei is to talk." Jane stated what Lisbon had been noting over time.

"You don't expect to have much longer." It was an observation and not a question.

"No, I don't." Jane agreed.

"Then why aren't you trying to get more done to protect her?" Lisbon asked as she carried her new machine into the breakroom to clean it. She'd read the manual online before contemplating whether she wanted to buy it and knew exactly what to do.

"What precisely do you expect me to do, Lisbon? I don't think they'd allow me to bring my own armed guards into a maximum security prison." Not that he thought that would work. Red John seemed to be able to get to everyone. He'd just turn one of the guards and kill Lorelei anyway.

"I don't think they will." Lisbon thoroughly cleaned the reservoir with warm soapy water before moving on to the next step.

After all the trouble Jane had gone through to get the woman, the long con, the bridges he'd burned, the hell he'd put himself through, and was still going through, she didn't understand his willing acceptance of the inevitable. While it was true Jane hadn't broken Lorelei as he wanted, they had gotten bits of information in unguarded moments that would prove invaluable down the road. Things that might actually lead to Red John's capture when they learned exactly where they fit in the puzzle as they eventually must. All in all, the last few months hadn't been entirely in vain.

Turning, Lisbon carried her coffee maker back in her office and sat it on the shelf behind her desk. She refused to have her first cup of coffee in the break room. If Jane was nice, she might even let him make a cup of tea first. Or maybe she could convince him to share a cup of coffee with her instead. Lisbon was a little surprised at the direction her thoughts were taking. It was too much like old times.

"Lisbon, we both know there's not much we, or anyone else, can do. Lorelei is already as safe as we can make her. When Red John gets tired of toying with the lot us, Lorelei will die and none of us will see it coming. Oh, we know it's going to happen, just not the appointed day and hour. If we did, we could stop his assassin. It's as simple as that." Jane's voice was weary as he all but acknowledged Red John was three steps ahead of them yet again without actually saying the words.

Lisbon agreed that was probably how everything would go down. Long before they got anything useful out of the woman and long past the time Lorelei wished she was dead. Or that she'd made a different choice when she'd been approached by her soon-to-be mentor. Unfortunately, it was too late for regrets now. Not that Lisbon thought the whacko had any except maybe that she'd gotten caught. Lorelei hadn't faired well in her tight, enclosed cell. It turns out she was somewhat claustrophic. Or she'd become unpleasantly so in solitary.

Truthfully, it was a miracle Lorelei had lasted this long. She must be a particular favorite of the serial killer. Lisbon really didn't want to contemplate why. There was a whole plethora of revolting reasons that might be and there wasn't a one she didn't think Lorelei incapable of performing. Look at the lengths she'd been willing to go to ensnare Jane. And the lengths she was willing to go to hurt her. Lisbon dismissed those thoughts for more pleasant ones. Like a cup of mocha hazelnut coffee.

"Hey, Jane, want some tea?" Lisbon asked as she turned the machine on. Things were dark enough at the moment they both needed a break.

"Yeah, Lisbon, I think I might." Jane agreed as his cup was empty.

"Good. I need to go into the break room to get some creamer while the water's heating." Lisbon rose from her seat.

"You don't need that ghastly powdered stuff. Check your refrigerator." Jane watched Lisbon open her refrigerator to find fresh cream. Just as he'd known she'd "force" herself to accept his gift, he'd known she wouldn't wait to use it. So, he'd brought her some cream and refilled her grandmother's sugar bowl.

"Jane, you've been in my office without permission again." He'd picked the bloody lock again like he had a right. The sneaky worm.

"I think that's obvious, Lisbon. I knew you'd be like a child with a new toy and it's hardly coffee without sugar and cream." Jane justified his actions as he wiggled into a more comfortable position in his chair watching imaginary steam coming out of her ears.

"You're a dead man, Jane." Lisbon said as she reached for the familiar blue cup and made his tea. Too bad she didn't have any rat poison lying around. She could certainly use it and he'd certainly been a rat lately. On second thought, Jane wasn't worth going to jail over.

"I seriously doubt that. You wouldn't like jail, Lisbon. You wouldn't like it at all. I can vouch for that." Jane took the cup from her hand and took a sip. It was perfect as always. Lisbon hadn't lost her touch over the weeks their relationship had been strained even if she did have murder in her eyes.

"I never thought I would." Lisbon added cream and sugar to her coffee. "But adding a little rat poison seemed fitting for a moment or two."

"Hardly." Jane snorted at the idea he wasn't a disease ridden rodent even if he had been a nasty piece of work lately.

"Get over yourself, Jane." Lisbon resisted the urge to say "bite me." They weren't on those good of terms at the moment.

"Lisbon, I think I made a mistake in doing what I did." With hindsight, perhaps he'd made a big one.

Jane hadn't gotten what he'd expected from Lorelei and wasn't sure he would before her ticket expired. He'd also lost a lot more on the deal than the risks he'd calculated. Things he was finding more painful to lose and more difficult to regain than he'd anticipated. If he had to call the game now, he'd say this wasn't proving one of his most successful cons. In fact, it was more of a bust all things considered.

"You think?" Hiding her surprise at such an admission, Lisbon rolled her eyes as she savored another sip of coffee.

"Yeah, I think." Jane agreed watching her set her cup aside hoping she'd give him an opening to talk.

"Drink your tea, Jane. I'd like to be in bed before midnight for a change and I still have that last video to watch." Though Lisbon's eyes were softer than they'd been in a long time, her meaning was perfectly clear.

While she might be willing to accept his peace offering, make him a cup of tea, and share an almost companionable few moments, she wasn't yet ready to simply forgive and forget. He'd finally crossed too big a line for that. Any conversation they had of that nature they wouldn't be having tonight. If her reaction was anything to go by, they wouldn't be having it anytime soon either.


	3. Chapter 3

Snagging her cell, Lisbon lifted the phone to her ear knowing she didn't need to say a thing. She'd already seen the number on her screen. It was Cho calling from HQ. He better have a good reason for disturbing her. She hoped he'd uncovered a break in their case. An undercover cop was missing and presumed dead. She hadn't been found though an alarming amount of her blood had been in the parking lot of an upscale club. Making it worse, Lisbon actually knew the woman having worked closely with her a few years ago before she joined the CBI. Leslie was a darned good undercover cop and she didn't deserve whatever had happened to her.

"Boss?" Cho's voice came through loud and clear.

"Yeah, Cho, I hope you found something good." Lisbon said as she watched Rigsby and Van Pelt leave one building to enter another.

Catching Van Pelt's eye from across the street, Lisbon cursed under her breath at the almost imperceptible shake of the red head indicating they hadn't gotten anywhere. They were interviewing business people in the area in hopes that someone saw something they might have forgotten. Leslie Dupres had disappeared leaving a popular night spot in an area filled with late night restaurants and clubs. If none of the owners or workers saw anything; perhaps, one or two of their regulars had.

"Nada, Boss; but, Jane called." For some reason Cho's words felt ominous.

"Yeah, he was going to see Lorelei." Like Jane did nearly every day leaving his boss with hours of schizophrenic detritus to sift through yielding little but emotional pain for everyone involved.

"Yeah, well, he did, and he wasn't the only one." Cho said.

"What do you mean, Cho?" Lisbon honestly didn't want to know.

"Lorelei's in ICU expected to bite the dust any time." Cho repeated what Minelli had just called him to say though he'd used more professional wording.

"What happened, Cho? They don't think Jane had anything to do with it?" That was the last thing any of them needed with all of the crap already going on.

"Jane's in the clear." Cho answered.

"Thank God. What happened, Cho?" Lisbon asked again.

"From what Minelli said, Lorelei started feeling ill yesterday before Jane ever saw her. They had to cut their visit short when she almost puked on him." That was a detail Lisbon could have done without. Then again, Jane had been such a pill lately she couldn't think of a nicer guy for that to happen to. Oh, yeah, if she'd thought the coffee maker indicated a change in her consultant's attitude, she'd been sorely mistaken. He'd been a bigger jerk since if anything. Given Jane's stance, Lisbon had seen no real reason to alter her own. Not as long as they got the job done and they did. Even with Jane being an ass. "She was admitted to the infirmary last night with a mild case of that flu going around the jail." Cho said as though Lisbon really cared.

"Yeah, Cho, get on with the story. I have a feeling whatever's wrong with the woman has nothing to do with the flu." Lisbon rolled her eyes in frustration. Cho never talked this much. Then again, she had asked for answers so she should be willing to hear them.

"She got shanked, Lisbon." That was the long and short of it: somebody knifed Lorelei with a homemade dagger while she was lying ill in a hospital bed.

"I see and I suppose nobody knows how it happened?" While unexpected, Lisbon didn't feel as shocked as she thought she should be.

No, with hindsight, it didn't really surprise her. Poison or suicide seemed more likely. But, with events like Todd Johnson burning alive in a CBI interrogation room, nothing was really out of the realm of possibility. Red John seemed to have tentacles more far reaching than they even suspected. When they thought they had a handle on him, the nut job pulled another unanticipated move.

"Nope, though we have a pretty big clue." Cho's voice took on a strange note she'd never heard.

"I'm not going to like this, am I?" Lisbon asked.

"No." Cho confirmed honestly.

"What is it?" Lisbon felt the claws of dread digging into her heart as she knew she really, really wasn't going to like this.

"Flowers arrived for you about fifteen minutes after you left. Looked like something Jane would send." Cho said.

"How do you know what Jane would send?" Lisbon asked distracted for the moment by such an inane observation.

"It was three dozen red and white roses, Lisbon." Cho told her as though that said everything.

"Yeah, so what? Roses are a pretty common flower." Lisbon countered.

"A bouquet of red and while roses conveys I'm sorry and asks for forgiveness for transgressions like an affair or betrayal of confidence between friends, lovers, or family members in the language of flowers." Cho ticked off sounding for all the world like a cheesy internet article. "Who do you think we'd think sent that bouquet?" Cho's tone was calm and reasonable.

"How the hell do you know that, Cho?" Lisbon asked before answering her own question. "You read it somewhere."

"Yeah, Lisbon, I did." Actually, he had a book somewhere on the language of flowers. He'd used the same trick a time or two in the past with lady friends quite successfully. Just because Cho didn't flaunt his private life didn't mean he didn't have one or that he didn't know his way around a relationship. He most certainly did. Well, unless it was Summer. She was a nut job unto herself.

"And why would you jump automatically to the conclusion Jane sent those flowers? I do have a private life." Lisbon reminded him.

"No you don't, Boss." Cho volleyed the truth back at her. "Beside, Jane bought you that expensive coffee maker. Why wouldn't we think the flowers were from him? He's been difficult lately." Cho bit back the vulgar term he really wanted to use instead. "Besides, everyone heard you arguing yesterday. We thought he might be trying to make up." It was a perfectly reasonable conclusion under the circumstances.

"Shush, Cho. It would take a lot more than three dozen roses to get back in my good graces." Lisbon confessed and almost laughed out loud at her number one's confirming snort. "Now, tell me the part I don't want to know."

"Like who sent the flowers?" Cho asked.

"Yeah." Lisbon agreed.

"Who do you think?" Cho resisted the urge to tell his boss she probably needed to sit down.

"Red John." Lisbon forced herself to utter the words she didn't want to say.

Cho's silence on the other end of the phone was all the confirmation she needed.

"I'll hazard a guess there was a card with a smiley face in Lorelei's blood." Lisbon refused to let allow her shaking legs to collapse beneath her.

"Yeah, there was." Cho confirmed.

"Send the damned thing to forensics." Lisbon's tone was pure SAC.

"Already done." Cho confirmed.

"Who knows about this?" Lisbon asked.

"Minelli, LaRoche, and the lab technicians." Cho didn't find it necessary to add himself to the list as Lisbon already knew.

"Keep it that way. None of the rest of the team needs to know especially Jane." Lisbon stated what Cho already knew as well.

"Lisbon, where are you going now?" Cho asked.

"I'm going to the hospital as soon as you get here to take over." Lisbon didn't see that she had any choice.

"I'll meet you in the hospital parking lot. We'll walk in together. When I know you're safe, I'll join the rest of the team working the Dupres case." Cho's tone brooked no refusal and Lisbon didn't fight him.

She was more shaken by the threatening message she felt Red John had sent than she was willing to let on. Having Cho escort her from that massive parking garage didn't feel all that much like panicked overkill. There was safety in numbers and she didn't really want to be alone at the moment. Rigsby and Van Pelt would be fine on their own for a while. They were seasoned cops. Speaking of Rigsby and Van Pelt, she needed to let them know what was going on.

Well, not about the flowers; but, the rest of it. Speak of the devils, they were walking across the parking lot towards her. They must have gotten a small lead or they were ready for a lunch break. Somehow, Lisbon suspected it was the latter. Either way, they were saving her a phone call and having lunch would keep them out of trouble. They could interview some of the wait staff at MacCarthy's while they were at it. Yes, she knew exactly which restaurant they'd eat at as Grace hadn't been able to stop talking about an article she read on the eatery the entire drive over.

"Rigsby, Van Pelt, go have lunch. Cho'll be here in a little while to take over. I've got to leave." Lisbon stated without preamble.

"What happened, Boss?" Van Pelt suddenly had a worried look on her face saying she didn't like Lisbon's expression.

"Lorelei got stabbed some time this morning. They think she's dying. I've got to get to the hospital." Lisbon said.

"You've got to get to Jane." Rigsby said.

"Yeah, that too. Somebody's got to do damage control. I think Virgil's with him from what Cho said, so things aren't as bad as they could be." Lisbon reassured her team.

"I guess they're not." Van Pelt agreed though she still didn't like it. "You want me to go with you, Boss?"

"Nah, Cho's meeting me in the parking garage. He'll be here after we talk to Jane." Lisbon said as she headed towards her SUV with her team in tow.

Unlocking her door, she allowed Rigsby to open her door for her before climbing in and jabbing her key in the ignition.

"Go have a good lunch and get something we need. Leslie Dupres was one of us. She deserves justice." Lisbon said as she shoved her sunglasses on her face.

"You think she's dead, Boss." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah, Van Pelt, I do. I'd say from the amount of blood by her car, she was probably dead before she hit the ground." Lisbon agreed. "Dupres was too good at her job to just get taken. I think we're going to find she was killed by someone she knew and he didn't want to leave her body around to be found before he was ready."

Lisbon would hazard a guess they'd find out Leslie was hit by a couple of bullets from a silenced pistol before she knew what happened and crammed in a car trunk or passenger seat. If she wasn't spot on, it was a similar scenario. She'd place a Jane bet on it. They just needed some supporting evidence.

"We'll see you back at the office?" Rigsby asked as he watched Lisbon fasten her seat belt.

"Yeah, I'll give you a call. We'll be back at the office as soon as I can collect Jane." Who she knew wouldn't leave Lorelei's side until the woman passed to the other side.

"We'll see you there." Rigsby closed Lisbon's door as he watched her wave her assent before cranking the vehicle and pulling out of the parking lot.

Pulling onto the highway, Lisbon watched her team cross the street towards the restaurant in her rear view mirror. Lisbon snorted at the thought she only saw the man move that fast if he had a meal to eat before turning her mind to more important things. Twenty minutes later she pulled into the parking space across from Cho surprised the parking garage was as empty as it was. For the second time that day, she was glad she wasn't doing this alone.

Not that she was afraid. She wasn't. Unsettled, yes, she'd admit to that. It wasn't every day she got flowers from a serial killer and one who'd certainly not been sending the message he was sorry for anything. He'd merely wanted to ensure his little card would be looked at as quickly as possible as he didn't want there to be any doubt who'd gotten to Lorelei. Or maybe he was saying he was sorry. If he was, it was certainly tongue-in-cheek. His latest tool had simply outlived her usefulness. Maybe that was what he was sorrowful about. Maybe he'd counted on her playing the game a little better than she had.

"Hey, Boss." Cho fell in step behind Lisbon as she headed into the hospital.

"Hey, Cho. Got any idea what floor Jane's on?" She asked as she came to a stop in front of the elevator.

"Surgical ICU is on the fourth floor." Cho said as he perused the guide on the wall.

"Then the fourth floor it is." Lisbon said as she stepped into the elevator and pushed the button.

She really hated riding these things; but, she wasn't admitting that to Cho. She'd just stand here shifting from one foot to the other while she hummed under her breath and her right hand man pretended to ignore her.

"We're here." Cho smirked discretely at the way Lisbon stopped bouncing and humming as soon as the bell dinged signaling those doors were about to open. "Minelli said you go right and then left to get to the waiting room."

"Yeah?" Lisbon asked as she turned right striding down the hall.

"Yeah." Cho followed her when she turned left before stepping into the waiting room.

"Jane, where's Minelli?" Lisbon asked as Jane looked up from his chair.

"He had to go about five minutes ago. He got an urgent call; but he said you were on your way. I think Cho called him. I need a ride back to the office." Jane rose to his feet.

"We just got here, Jane." Lisbon said.

"Lorelei died ten minutes ago, Lisbon. There's really no reason to stay." Jane said in the same blasé voice he'd use ordering a chicken sandwich at the local drive through.

"Are you sure?" Lisbon asked.

"Yeah, she's not in there, Lisbon. Even if she was, we wouldn't get anything out of her. Lorelei never woke up from the surgery. She wouldn't have made it anyway. She lost too much blood before she ever got here." Jane repeated what the doctors had told him. "Let's go. I really don't want to be here anymore."

"Cho, get back downtown to Rigsby and Van Pelt. They should be through stuffing their faces and back to work. I need you to take lead while I get Jane back to HQ." Lisbon resisted the urge to take Jane's arm. She wasn't sure how he would react to such a gesture nor was she sure how she would.

"Got it, Boss. Later, Jane." Cho turned around, walked out of the waiting room, and down the hall leaving his companions behind without a backward glance.

"Let's go, Jane. You want to go home or back to the office?" Lisbon asked.

"What do you think, Lisbon? I have work to do." Jane said.

"We do have another open case, Jane. Leslie Dupres was one of us." Lisbon said as she walked beside Jane with an uncomfortable amount of space between them.

"Fine, I'll take a look at that case, too. I have a lead to check out first." Jane said.

"Lorelei gave you something?" Lisbon asked as the elevator doors closed behind them.

"Lorelei gave me a name that means absolutely nothing unless I can figure out who it is." Jane admitted.

"How do you know the name will mean anything when you do? She could have been lying to you." Lisbon said.

"I don't think so. It's one of the moles in the department; but, it's an alias." Jane said.

"Jane, I need you to help me with the Dupres case and I'll get the guys to help you with your alias. Leslie was a good cop. I knew her well. We worked together several times. She deserves to be found and given a decent burial." Lisbon said as they walked towards the familiar SUV.

"You think the lady cop's dead?" Jane asked absently.

"Yeah, Jane, I do. I don't see how she could have survived such massive blood loss any more than Lorelei did." Lisbon agreed.

"Then I think you're right. I was watching the case at the hospital. I'd like to see the file. I suspect her killer was the man she was having the affair with that no one knew anything about. He knew she was an undercover cop; but, that's not why he killed her. He couldn't care less about her job and he wasn't remotely worried about her trapping him. He killed her because she was breaking up with him. She was getting too twisted up inside, the waters were getting too muddied, sleeping with a man she was supposed to be sending to jail." Jane said as watched Lisbon deftly maneuver out of the parking garage.

"Okay, Jane, I'll bite. What makes you say that?" Lisbon asked as she eased into the flow of traffic hoping against hope none of that was true.

"I'll let you know when I finish looking over the file. At the moment it's just an unsubstantiated theory. Maybe tomorrow I'll interview some of those owners and managers myself." Jane said as leaned back and closed his eyes. "At the moment, I think I'll take a nap."

Lisbon just rolled her eyes and snorted in response.

#

"Hey, Jane, I brought you a cup of tea." Lisbon climbed the stairs to the attic where Jane had fled soon after they'd arrived at the CBI hours ago.

The CBI was deserted and had been for a while. Cho and her team had returned several hours ago. They'd eventually left for the night about forty minutes ago after putting in a long, hard day and getting no closer to solving the Dupres case than they been before they started. Lisbon was hoping Jane had gotten a different result. She'd known he'd spent the first few hours ruminating on that name Lorelei had whispered to him before she'd been rolled into surgery. But, he'd shifted his focus to the Dupres case later in the afternoon as he'd promised.

"No, you came up here to see if I'd cracked the Dupres case." Jane said from where he laid on the couch with his arm over his eyes.

"Yeah, that too, I suppose." Lisbon said as she watched Jane roll into an upright position and accept the proffered cup of tea.

"No, but I'm close." Jane said as he took a sip of the refreshing beverage. "Lisbon, when were you going to tell me about the roses Red John sent you?"

"How did you find out about that?" Lisbon asked as she sank down the couch beside him and took a sip of her soda.

"Did you honestly think I wouldn't?" Jane asked as though it was the most natural question in the world.

"Yeah, I hoped you wouldn't." Lisbon admitted.

"Well, I did, and how doesn't matter." Jane set his cup on the floor as he rose to his feet.

"I told everyone to keep it from you. Obviously, someone didn't." Lisbon set her sodaon the floor and pushed herself to her feet walking over to stand behind Jane.

"Lisbon, did you honestly think you could keep three dozen roses a secret in an office full of women?" Jane asked. "They were twittering about your admirer from the rooftop restaurant to Evidence in the basement. I couldn't help but overhear."

"How did you know Red John sent them? I could have a boyfriend." Lisbon felt a bit like a fool for using the term 'boyfriend' at her age. But, she hardly wanted to use the term 'lover' with Jane.

"You could have; but, you don't and we both know it. You'd certainly not want that boyfriend if you did. Someone who'd treat you badly enough he'd need to make such amends would have to be a total cad." Jane pronounced.

"Yeah, well, what does that say about you? Everyone thought you'd sent those flowers. That's why Cho checked the card." Not that he'd had any right. Her Number One had been being inappropriately overprotective from what she could see. She'd speak with him about that just not today.

"I never claimed to be any better." Jane said quietly.

"No, I don't think you have." Lisbon agreed.

"Red John was sending a two-fold message, Lisbon. He knew what everyone would think by his choice of flowers. It didn't really matter whether you opened that card or Cho did. Or even someone else. He knew whoever it was would thought it was me." Jane said.

"So you're saying what we already know. He did it for shock value." Lisbon didn't resist when Jane pulled her against his chest. It wasn't the first hug they'd shared over the years and he'd had a rough day. They both had. A hug wasn't all that out of line even if she was still mad at him.

"Well, that and to let us know it was him who'd gotten to Lorelei. Oh, and he wanted to tell us he's after you." Jane said.

"What?" Lisbon resisted the urge to shake her head.

"Whether he really means it, or he's playing head games, Red John wants all of us to know you're definitely in his crosshairs for whatever reason." Jane said again.

"Yeah, so what else is new? We've all considered me on his list from the start. To hear you tell it, he wanted my head in Vegas." Lisbon said.

"Oh, this is definitely new. I'm just not sure what it means. I do know I'd like you to come home with me where I can keep an eye on you. Or maybe we can keep an eye on each other. Whatever you have to tell yourself as long as you do it." Jane said.

"No way, Jane. I'm a cop. I'm not hiding out at my consultant's place because the bogeyman might be hiding in the hedges at my place." Lisbon said as she absently fingered her gun.

"Red John's a hell of a bogey man to be hiding in the shadows. Minelli offered to assign a gaggle of police officers to you; but, I dissuaded him from the idea. It's not like we can honestly trust the boys in blue not to belong to Red John now can we?

Lisbon, if I was you, I'd rethink my stance. What have you got to lose? We've spent evenings together before. If I remember correctly, we always had a pretty good time. We've both had a rough day. Give me this much." Jane requested yet again.

"Fine, Jane, I'll go home with you tonight; but, don't get any kind of crazy ideas. I'm not going to stay." No way.

Even if Jane thought she'd be safer. She'd go over to Van Pelt's place first. On second thought, she wouldn't. Van Pelt was seeing some new guy not remotely connected to law enforcement and goodness only knew what was going on at her place. None of that really mattered. She'd stay on Jane's couch tonight because she really didn't want to be alone. She'd go home tomorrow. It wasn't that big of a deal. He'd done the same a hundred times at her place.

"Good." Some of the desperation bled from his eyes as Jane leaned over to lightly brush Lisbon's lips.

"What was that for, Jane?" Lisbon asked. Not that it was a real kiss. More than a friendly, brotherly kind of buss, it was still far less than a real kiss.

"I wanted to." His tone betrayed Jane wasn't saying anything more.

"Kissing me in the attic doesn't make us okay, Jane. It really doesn't. Nor does sleeping over on your couch so don't even go there." Eyes closed, Lisbon leaned into his chest realizing she was in a precarious situation in more ways than one even if she refused to acknowledge it.

"I don't suppose it does; but, we both feel better for the moment." Jane gave voice to the truth she wouldn't.

As much as she hated admitting it, Lisbon silently agreed.


	4. Chapter 4

Efficiently centering the large SUV in the parking space, Lisbon killed the engine. Leaning her forehead briefly against the steering wheel, she collected her thoughts. It had been a very trying day. Jane had barely spoken on the way over too lost in his thoughts to think of entertaining her. Not even when she'd been confronted by the guard at the gate. Fortunately, her name was still on his sanctioned list. Actually, Jane might have been asleep for all she knew as his eyes had been closed for most of the journey. Somehow she didn't think so. More likely he was ruminating on the events of the day. Tucking her keys in her purse, Lisbon unfastened her seat belt.

"Let's go, Jane." She opened her car door, dropped to the asphalt, and waited patiently for him to do the same.

Silently appearing at her side, Jane led the way across the parking lot towards his two storied unit. Taking his keys from his pocket, he unlocked the door and motioned her in. Lisbon watched him carefully lock the door behind them before turning to face her.

"I'm going to take a shower, Lisbon." From the looks of him, he really needed one. "I'll be down in a while."

"You do that. I'll entertain myself until you're done." She'd make them a cup of tea.

Watching Jane disappear upstairs, Lisbon shrugged out of her jacket, draped it over the back of a bar stool, and walked into the kitchen like she owned the place. Filling the kettle with filtered water, she plopped it on the burner and turned the flame on medium high. Walking over to the pantry, she opened the door and did a quick perusal of Jane's stash. Selecting a box, she carried the tea tin into the kitchen.

Jane patronized an expensive tea shop that specialized in hard to find teas they sold in the pretty decorative storage tins. He had for years. Fortunately, each tin had a neat label affixed to the bottom telling exactly what it was. She'd discovered that trick a long time ago. It had come in handy over the years when Jane said things like, "Make it Jasmine tea, Lisbon." She'd not had to ask stupid questions like what exactly was Jasmine tea? She'd simply looked at the bottom of the box and followed the simple directions written in microscopic print. Fortunately, her eyes were good enough to read script the size of an ant's butt.

Removing two cups along with the matching saucers from the cabinet overhead, Lisbon smiled evilly at the thought, yeah, she knew exactly where everything was around here. Even a few things Jane probably wished she didn't. If he'd thought things through, he probably wouldn't have pressed that key in her palm on his way out of the CBI that day in the wake of his termination or given her access to his checkbook and bank account for that matter. Not that she'd done anything wrong for she certainly hadn't. But, she did have more of a handle on the man's finances than he was probably comfortable with anyone having.

Lisbon hadn't used that key for a couple of weeks until she'd been reasonably sure Jane wasn't coming back any time soon. She'd not allowed herself to believe he wouldn't return at all though the thought had certainly crossed her mind. She'd paid his bills and kept an eye on his place instead. Whether he ever returned or not, Jane owned his townhouse outright and there were obligations coming with property ownership that must be met.

Fortunately, the bank account he'd given her access to was quite healthy and would be for several years without adding a dime. It appeared Jane had deposited far more of his paychecks than he'd spent over the years. As for the rest, he'd proven himself quite adept at raising serious sums of cash when the need or opportunity presented itself. Lisbon rolled her eyes at the thought she honestly didn't know what to do with the man. He was still an unrepentant con in so many ways.

Hearing the tea kettle softly whistle, Lisbon turned the burner off before efficiently making two cups of tea as Jane had so painstakingly taught her. Hearing the shower suddenly end, she finished making the tea and discarded the leaves in the trash can under the sink. Taking a sip of the concoction in her cup, Lisbon decided the tea wasn't half bad; but, she still preferred her coffee. A few minutes later after deciding she'd waited long enough, Lisbon carried the blue cup of tea up the stairs and knocked on Jane's bedroom door.

Hearing the responding invitation to enter, she walked through his bedroom ignoring the massive bed she'd been known to sleep in occasionally on those nights she'd missed him way too much over the months he'd been gone. The months he'd been supposedly suffering in Vegas and preparing to turn her universe inside out and upside down. Lisbon resisted the urge to kick Jane in the shin for all of the trouble he'd put her through in passing. And for giving her yet another secret to hide deep in the recesses of her mind.

"Jane, honestly, you've got more tea in your pantry than a Chinese Herbalist." Lisbon sat the blue cup nestled so neatly in its matching saucer on the counter by the sink totally ignoring the fact Jane was wearing nothing but thin pajama bottoms.

If he wasn't bothered by his lack of attire, neither was she. It was hardly the first time she'd seen a scantily clad male and she wasn't likely to melt into a puddle of goo. Or involuntarily run her hands over his nicely muscled chest. Not even if said male was the admittedly delicious Patrick Jane. Nope, she wasn't touching that thought with a ten foot pole. She didn't even know where it came from and she wouldn't acknowledge it if she did.

"Yeah, so what did you bring me?" Jane nodded in the direction of the familiar cup.

"I don't know. It was some box that said calming on the label." Lisbon blushed slightly admitting she hadn't really bothered reading the fine print past that point.

"The yellow box with the red dragon on it?" Jane lifted the cup knowing exactly which tea Lisbon had selected from fragrance alone.

"Yeah, along with probably fifteen others." Lisbon agreed though the dragons and the boxes had been different colors. She was sure all of that meant something to Jane; but, it was Greek to her. That's why she'd read the neatly typed labels on the bottom. Well, skimmed them actually.

"It's a proprietary blend of rose petals, hibiscus flowers, blackberry, lemon balm, and a few other ingredients I won't bore you with. You did well, Lisbon, even if you didn't know what you were doing." Jane took a sip of the tea that had helped him through the last few years as much as anything could. "You should make yourself a cup. You haven't had the easiest day either."

"I already did and it wasn't half bad." It wasn't great; but, it wasn't bad. She'd left half the cup downstairs on the counter.

"But, you'd rather have coffee." Jane smirked over the rim of his cup.

"Yeah, I would." Lisbon smirked back in a companionable manner.

"You prefer being tense to being calm." Jane made his not so innocent observation aware he was riling Lisbon up.

"Jane, it's not like I really have a choice with you around." Lisbon watched him take another sip of tea obviously enjoying the flavor.

"You might have a point there, Lisbon. Why don't you make yourself comfortable while I finish drying my hair? I'm sure you know where everything is." Jane's tone said he knew very well she'd subjected his place to her version of the "Jane treatment" over the months of his absence.

He probably knew of the nights she'd spent curled around his pillow wishing her old friend was there getting on her last nerve and driving her up the bleeping wall. Not there as in the bed with her. But there as in being a part of her life again. Nothing was the same without him. At least when Jane had been in jail for Carter's murder, she'd been able to see him. Once he'd left this last time, she'd not heard a peep. A part of her had been terribly lost without him.

"I think I'll do that and, yeah, I know where everything is." Lisbon admitted she was as guilty of being nosey as he was without actually saying the words.

"I'll be out in a few." Lisbon pulled the door closed behind her before walking over to his dresser to open the first drawer on the left hand side.

Rummaging around, she pulled out her favorite pajama top. The same one she'd worn on those rare occasions Jane would hopefully never know about. She'd found great comfort in being surrounded in his scent and that shirt smelled like nothing but pure Jane. She'd done a similar thing in college when she'd missed her brothers' presence. Yeah, they were all younger than her; but, they were bigger too. All she'd had to do was sleep in one of their jerseys to feel like just another puppy in the pile.

Unbuttoning her blouse, Lisbon smiled at one of her few fond memories of those first few years after their mother died. She'd invariably ended up with James, Tommy, and Pete piled all over each other in her too small bed more often than not. She'd not gotten that much sleep those nights; but, she'd survived it. Keeping her brothers happy and secure was more important. Truthfully, it wasn't so different from what she was doing with Jane. Or what she'd been doing for years.

Slipping her arms through too long sleeves, Lisbon buttoned the pajama top before reaching beneath the hem to unfasten and remove her pants. Hanging her blouse and her shirt in Jane's closet, she studied her reflection in the mirror. There was nothing inappropriate about her attire. While it was true Jane wasn't that large a man when compared with someone like Rigsby, he wasn't that small either. That he was both significantly taller and broader than she was all that mattered. Lisbon decided she was more than adequately covered from neck to knees especially given she was still wearing her very practical bra and panties.

"You look cute, Lisbon." Jane emerged from the bathroom now fully clothed in his pajama top and bottoms looking better than he had in a couple of days.

Lisbon shushed the voice in her head pointing out quite adamantly that Jane cleaned up rather nicely. She did not need to be thinking things like that anymore than she needed to hear Jane say she looked cute wearing his shirt. Or maybe he thought she looked cute with that stupid ponytail bouncing on the top of her head. She so wasn't going to ask him to clarify.

"Shush, Jane. Now that you're done, I'm going downstairs to sleep on the couch. I know there are blankets and pillows in the linen closet." Lisbon wasn't at all surprised when Jane grabbed her hand halting her departure.

"I thought you were going to stay." Lisbon resisted the urge to pull her hand away.

"We agreed I'd sleep on the couch." Lisbon reminded him fully aware they'd agreed to no such thing. They'd agreed she would stay at his place to be specific; but, that was as far as they'd gone with the details. The sleeping on the couch part had been in her mind, not his.

"No, we agreed you'd stay at my place." Jane corrected her impression. "I can hardly keep an eye on you and you on me if one of us is downstairs." Jane pointed out practically. "Come to bed, Lisbon. I promise I'll keep my hands to myself." From the crinkling of his eyes, Lisbon wouldn't bet on that.

Crinkly Jane eyes was the equivalent of that childish gesture she used to make with her fingers behind her back when she told her brothers the medicine didn't taste yucky at all. Right, she was lying as often as not. What could she say? It was good for them.

"And I promise not to shoot you as long as you do that." Carefully setting her hand gun on the night stand, Lisbon slid beneath the sheets much too aware she wasn't wearing anything but Jane's shirt and her underwear.

This really wasn't a good idea even if it was totally innocent. If anyone saw them, they'd definitely get the wrong idea. But, no one was going to see them, right? Somehow, Lisbon wouldn't be all that surprised to open her eyes to find her team staring at them. It was too late to worry about that now that she'd capitulated. She might as well close her eyes and get some sleep. Morning would come soon enough.

"I wouldn't dream of it, Lisbon." Jane said as he eyed the pistol he knew Lisbon always kept within easy reach. The one she wouldn't hesitate to use. He knew. He'd seen her do it.

"Yeah, right." Lisbon mumbled as she tucked her hand under her pillow and drew her knees up.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, My Dear; but, your virtue is safe tonight. I'm much too weary to have wayward thoughts." Jane whispered as he draped his arm over her waist and pulled Lisbon back against him. She didn't resist as desperate fingers entwined through hers linking their hands together.

"Shush, Jane." Lisbon snorted though she made no move to break free of his grasp. The man was such a fool at times. "We're still not okay, Jane." Lisbon said softly. She might be in his bed; but, she still hadn't fully forgiven him.

"I never presumed we were, Teresa; I never presumed we were. But, I'm glad you're here tonight." Jane said as he closed his eyes content to breathe her spicy scent once again.

"So am I, Jane." Lisbon decided to relent that much as she stared into the darkness wondering for the millionth time since that file crossed her desk if any of this was really worth it in the end.

Too many people had gotten hurt or dead over the years and they were still no closer to catching Red John than they'd been since they started.

#

Opening her eyes, Lisbon was very aware of the arm still draped over her waist. Apparently Jane hadn't moved an inch last night and he was, surprisingly, still quite deeply asleep which was something she'd rarely seen. Carefully extricating herself from beneath his arm, she rolled to the edge of the bed and sat up. With any luck, she'd make it to the bathroom without disturbing him.

"What time is it, Lisbon?" Mumbled a sleepy voice from behind her.

"It's time for me to get a shower and you to go back to sleep. I'll wake you when I go downstairs to fix breakfast." Lisbon said as she rose to her feet.

"Don't have to do that." Jane mumbled again with his eyes still closed.

"I'm hungry, Jane. Besides, you'll be lucky if I don't burn the bacon." She'd seen a pack of strips while rooting around in the fridge last night and knew there were at least bacon and eggs and a loaf of bread in stock. "Go back to sleep. I'll take care of everything." Tucking the covers under his chin, Lisbon smiled as she realized she didn't need to repeat herself as he already was.

Grabbing her pants from the closet and one of Jane's tee shirts from the drawer, Lisbon walked into the bathroom and turned the shower on. The only downside to Jane's home was it took a minute to get the shower as hot as she liked it; but, once it was done, it stayed that way a good while. Stripping down, she opened the sliding glass doors and stepped under the spray.

Reaching for Jane's soap, Lisbon realized she was going to smell like a hint of Jane. Any other day that might be a problem. Today, it made perfect sense. Everyone and their dog would know she'd spent the night comforting Jane over the loss of yet another coveted key to Red John. No one would find it strange or incriminating she'd taken a shower at his place at some point. Grabbing his shampoo, Lisbon decided if she was in for a penny she might as well make it a pound.

Rinsing her hair, Lisbon ignored the fact she could have waited until she got home to take a shower. It would make more sense than getting clean only to dress in her dirty under clothes. However, she'd had all the grimy she could stand. She'd wanted a shower last night; but, she'd foregone it in favor of getting Jane settled as quickly as she could. Reaching for a towel, Lisbon dried off, snagged Jane's deodorant, and slipped into her bra and panties. Pulling the light blue tee over her head, she admitted it swallowed her whole. But, it would do in a pinch. Tucking the hem in her pants and fastening her belt, Lisbon decided that was better before walking through the bedroom, gazing at a still snoozing Jane in passing, and heading for the kitchen to halt her growling stomach.

#

Turning from the stove plate in hand, Lisbon watched Jane rubbing his temples. Would the man never give it a rest? He made her tired just watching him.

"Stop it, Jane." Lisbon said as she set a plate of scrambled eggs, sausage, and toast in front of him.

"Stop what, Lisbon?" Jane asked as he took a bite of the fluffy yellow concoction suddenly realizing he hadn't eaten since early yesterday morning.

"Doing that crazy crap in your head you do so well. Bad things don't happen to every woman you have a relationship with. Kristina opened her mouth when you told her not to and paid the price. Lorelei worked for Red John. She'd have gotten her dues eventually regardless of you." Deliberately avoiding any mention of Angela, Lisbon plopped her own surprisingly full plate on the table in front of her. What could she say? Handling a recalcitrant Jane for over twenty four hours straight made her very hungry.

"What about you?" Jane asked in a tone she didn't like.

"Nothing's happened to me and nothing's going to. We don't have that kind of relationship." Lisbon forced herself to look straight into Jane's eyes as she lied through her teeth.

"Are you sure about that?" By his estimation, their relationship went far deeper than any of the others she'd mentioned and had for years.

"Yeah, Jane, I'm sure. We're friends. We've been friends for years so I'd say I've been near the top of Red John's hit list for a long time now and I'm still here." Lisbon shot Jane a glance daring him to make some smart butt comment. "Probably since the first time I defended you from getting fired if not before. So get over yourself." Lisbon decided she'd done pretty well for a hastily put together makeshift breakfast of cheesy eggs, sausage, and buttered toast.

"Is that what we are, Lisbon?" Jane asked.

"Yeah, Jane, we're friends. We're friends with a lot of unresolved issues at the moment." Lisbon dribbled some of the Bahamian wildflower honey she'd found in Jane's pantry across her toast and took a bite.

"Keep telling yourself that, Teresa, and you might believe it one day. Yes, I've messed things up recently; but, neither of us really believes we're just friends." Jane corrected her.

"Bite me, Jane." Lisbon shoved a fork full of eggs in her mouth to keep from saying something stronger.

"Don't tempt me, Lisbon. I've feeling rather wicked at the moment." There was a hint of a smile in those haunted eyes staring so forcefully from across the table. Whatever thoughts were bouncing about in Jane's head were far deeper than she wanted to contemplate.

"Shush and finish your breakfast. We're friends, Jane, just as we've been for a very long time." Lisbon refused to give him the kind of reassurances he was after.

"At least that's an improvement over the last few weeks." Jane admitted.

"Shush, Jane, and finish your breakfast." Lisbon repeated yet again. She was not having this conversation. Not today. Not ever. "We need to get to the office before too long. I've got a press conference with Bertram, Minelli, and LaRoche. I've already called Cho and told him we're going to be late to get on with the case. I still have to swing by my place to change and you've got to get ready." Lisbon said as she drained the last of her coffee.

"I'll be done in a few." Under the circumstances, no one would be all that surprised when she and Jane arrived together. Lisbon doubted the gossip mill would bother cranking up. As his car was still parked in the CBI lot, it wasn't like they really had a choice.

Besides, everyone would have already figured she'd spent the night spackling Jane's emotional cracks as she usually did. It was a very Lisbon thing to do even when they were on the outs. Even her team knew their boss couldn't hold onto her anger in the face of Jane's very real suffering. He'd been by Lorelei's side while she'd languished never regaining consciousness watching his last concrete hope of catching Red John fade away before his eyes and hoping for a break that never materialized. He'd been understandably distraught ever since. Even Lisbon's stubbornness had its shattering point.

"Yeah, that's fine. I'll clean up while you do your thing." Lisbon rose to her feet and grabbed his plate, utensils, and cup.

"Hey, Lisbon?" Leaning over, Jane gave her a more than brotherly kiss on the lips deciding he could get used to kissing Lisbon especially when she wasn't expecting it. She had the most pleasant habit of automatically returning his kiss before she caught herself. "Consider that a thank you and a promise between friends."

"Yeah, Jane, whatever." Lisbon persistently refused to admit she'd kissed him back in exactly the same manner as she watched Jane head for the stairs. It wasn't the first time he'd given her a kiss over the years in trying moments and it wouldn't be the last. She'd never really thought much of it. Or, rather, she'd never allowed herself to.

Filling the sink with hot water, she quickly washed the dishes before wiping down the counter and dining table preferring to stay busy to confronting her thoughts. Things were progressing much too fast with Jane. She was suddenly ready to forgive, forget, and allow their relationship to fall back into their familiar camaraderie…maybe a little more. All it had taken was that stricken look on his face and her defenses had immediately crumbled.

Mentally shaking herself, Lisbon decided that wouldn't do. Jane had been an absolute monster for weeks causing her trouble right and left. She wasn't about to let him off the hook because the goose he thought might lay the golden egg had suddenly perished. Well, Lorelei was murdered exactly as they'd feared would happen; but, semantics was a niggling point all things considered. Dead was dead and nothing could bring her back.

#

Glancing at her watch and realizing she was fast running out of time, Lisbon brushed a neutral shadow across her lid. Jane had taken longer than expected getting dressed and they'd gotten detained by a wreck on the way to her place so she was left with barely enough time to prepare for the day. She cursed under her breath for the hundredth time.

Why did there have to be a press conference with Bertram today of all days? Because Lorelei was killed yesterday, that's why. Would the woman ever stop causing her grief? Crossing herself, Lisbon repented of the thought. Lorelei was dead. She couldn't speak ill of the dead, even that mixed up piece of work. Carefully adding a touch of dark liner, Lisbon admitted she'd have just changed her blouse, slathered a touch of makeup across her face, and brushed her hair under normal circumstances. Now, she had to think about what she was doing. Life was so unfair.

"Jane, honestly, get out of here. I've got enough problems without you suddenly deciding to hang out." Lisbon said resisting the urge to cover her chest though she was fully clothed in a dressy tomato red tank and slim black dress slacks as Jane appeared where he shouldn't without so much as a by your leave.

There was something too intimate about Jane meandering into her bathroom to stand behind her while she was tipping her lashes with mascara. That was something a husband or lover might do. Not her petulant consultant and sometimes friend. Chastising herself, Lisbon corrected the voice in her head by reminding it the "sometimes" hadn't come into the equation until recently. And that unusual look in his eyes she'd never seen before wasn't helping her peace of mind.

"Why should I, Lisbon? You're perfectly respectable." Jane said as he lifted the tiny bottle of real perfume her brothers had given her last Christmas. It was the same spicy scent she'd worn for years. The one that didn't change with her body chemistry and always smelled nice no matter how much she perspired or how many stinky perps she tackled.

"I asked you to." Lisbon said as she swept blush across her cheeks.

"There is that." Jane said as he made no move to do as she asked popping the cap and taking a sniff of her perfume instead. "While the scent is pleasant, it smells much better on you than it does in the bottle." Jane proclaimed as he set the pretty glass vial aside.

"That's nice to know, Jane. Now, leave. Go case the rest of my apartment like you usually do. I'm finding your hovering creepy." Lisbon captured his eyes in the mirror.

"Creepy, Lisbon? I believe I'm hurt." Jane declared as he still made no move to leave.

"Yeah, right. Jane, seriously, this feels weird." Lisbon placed her palms flat against the counter top wondering what in the hell was going on and why Jane was acting strange even for Jane.

Yeah, he'd been through quite a bit of trauma recently; but, that didn't explain his sudden fixation on her. He'd been perfectly fine all the weeks they were barely speaking to each other. Jane hadn't shown up on her doorstep even once although she'd expected him to. He'd not defended her when Lorelei viciously attacked her in his presence again as she'd have expected him to. He'd simply played his head games exactly as he intended not caring who got hurt in the process. And, yes, she'd gotten hurt quite a bit along the way which was another reason neither she nor her team were readily forgiving him.

"In what way?" Jane asked as though he was genuinely interested.

"It's much too intimate." Lisbon said as she slicked a touch of lipstick over her lips.

"In what way? You did the same thing to me last night and neither of us seemed to mind." Jane reminded her of what she already knew.

"It wasn't the same." Lisbon said.

"No, I don't suppose it was." Jane agreed.

"It wasn't really intimate. It didn't feel that way." Lisbon clarified.

"Oh, it was definitely intimate, Lisbon." She'd have known exactly how intimate if he'd not been so physically and emotionally depleted. "I was wearing far less clothes than you." Jane stated.

"It didn't feel the same." And it hadn't for reasons she hadn't known.

"No, it didn't and it wasn't." Jane agreed resisting the urge to rest his hand rather _intimately_ on her shoulder knowing Lisbon would jump out of her skin if he did.

"We don't do intimate, Jane." Not like this they didn't.

"We've done intimate for years, Lisbon. Just not the kind either of us really wanted from the other." Jane corrected her.

"I don't know what you're saying." And she wasn't about to guess.

"You will soon, Lisbon. But, I agree with you that now isn't the time." Lisbon felt his lips brush her forehead before Jane walked out the door leaving her stewing in confusing undercurrents.

Deciding she wasn't going there, Lisbon brushed her hair and dabbed a bit of the familiar scent on her pulse points before walking back into her bedroom to grab her jacket and purse. Jane was as baffling as always. What with the "Love you's" he wouldn't address, crazy kisses, and cryptic statements she honestly didn't know what to think. No, she did. What she thought was she wasn't going there and she wasn't about to let herself hope that man meant anything like she wanted him to. Not with Patrick Jane. She wasn't about to set herself up that way. She had way more sense than that. Or she liked to think she did.


	5. Chapter 5

"What do you want, Jane?" Lisbon said without turning from her window.

Only her consultant was stupid enough to take his life into his hands by barreling through that door without knocking. Such foolhardiness was classic Jane.

It certainly wasn't one of those FBI creeps they were still forced to work with on occasion. Lisbon hated those supercilious bastards more than Jane did if that was humanly possible. She really, really did. More than that awful creamed spinach from her high school cafeteria and that was saying a lot as that was a very special kind of hate.

"It's not Jane, Boss." Cho said from behind her.

"Cho, what do you mean barging in here without knocking?" Jane she'd given up on years ago. He was too hardheaded to ever learn. Her Number One knew better. While she'd let him get away with a lot of transgressions, this wasn't one of them.

"Sorry, Boss, I got distracted." Cho took a step into the office and closed the door.

"Distracted by what?" Deciding she finally had her emotions under control; Lisbon felt composed enough to face her Agent. Turning, she sat her half full cup on her desk reluctant to let go of the crutch even if it was subpar hot chocolate and not her favorite brew.

"We got a lead on the Dupres' case." Deliberately ignoring the moisture shining in her eyes, Cho handed Lisbon the photograph.

He honestly couldn't blame the boss for being a little weepy for any number of reasons like they had yet to find a body though hope was long gone. Or that Lisbon knew the victim well enough to have a photograph of the two of them at some kind of fancy law enforcement party sitting on her desk taken a year or two ago. Pulling his eyes away from the photograph, Cho ignored the wayward musing saying the Boss looked damned hot in that red dress and the Dupres girl looked hotter in hot pink. That was _not_ the kind of thought he should be thinking.

Obviously, the Boss had worked with her friend on a number of cases in the past from what she'd said. Cho knew they met for a girl's night out occasionally. The Boss had admitted that too. In fact, their last girl's night had been about six months ago right before Dupres went under cover. They'd eaten at a rather swanky place uptown that he wouldn't take as Lisbon's usual taste. She'd had a bit of smile on her face as she'd told them bits and pieces of her last outing with Leslie Dupres. She sounded like his kind of woman. Cho wished he'd had a chance to meet her. He might have asked her out and she'd have probably taken him up on the offer if he had. Yep, Lisbon had had the kind of smile on her face hinting there was more to that evening than she was willing to share.

What Lisbon hadn't said was she and her old friend had had a blast tormenting a hunkie young waiter that night. Or rather Leslie had. Lisbon preferred to watch. As a rule, she wasn't into one night stands though there were exceptions. A particular one came to mind and she still didn't regret it. She probably wouldn't do it again as Jane had been an obnoxious pill for a few weeks after; but, she didn't regret Walter at all. Looking back, Lisbon had never been sure her more living in the moment friend hadn't taken the much younger hottie home and cleaned his clock in true Cougar style that night. They'd never gotten a chance to discuss it. On second thought, Lisbon all but knew she had. And knowing Leslie as well as she did, she'd had a good time doing it.

"Who's this?" Lisbon glanced at the bleary photograph in her hands surmising it was from a bank camera somewhere in the area.

It looked too much like Leslie and a dark haired man to be anyone else; but, she couldn't say definitively and she certainly couldn't identify the man. She doubted anyone else could either. All she could say for sure was the hairstyle, body type, and facial features looked like her old friend from the side.

"Maybe the boyfriend Jane mentioned in passing. She's got her arm around his waist and he's got his hand splayed across her ass." Cho crassly stated earning him a dirty look from his boss though Lisbon couldn't dispute his words as they were perfectly true.

What she could argue was they didn't know if this was personal or business. There was no way to tell and Leslie wasn't above getting close to a target when she needed to. Just how close Lisbon had never really wanted to know. She'd trusted the officer to be enough of a professional to know which lines not to cross. All she could say for sure was that none of her friend's arrests had even been thrown out based on impropriety. Then again, that wasn't necessarily saying a lot. All Lisbon had to do was look at Jane to know that was true.

"Yeah, well, good luck identifying that guy, Cho. He could be Jane for all we know." Lisbon cracked.

"Yeah, well, he isn't. I was in your vehicle riding to the Crandell crime scene when that photograph was taken. You can verify my whereabouts. Just look at the date and time stamp. It's definitely not me." Jane quipped from the half open doorway making reference to a case long solved. Lisbon didn't even have to look at her infamous board to know his words were true. She remembered writing "Closed" by that particular case.

"What do you want, Jane?" Lisbon asked not really wanting to deal with him.

"What do you think, Lisbon?" Jane opened the door a little wider.

"I'll have Van Pelt run the image enhancement program to see if she can get a clearer picture." Cho looked about as excited at the prospect as he did at watching Benjamin blowing spit bubbles which was something he'd seen entirely too much of lately. Besides, he wasn't sure the picture could get any better. Grace had already run that program a number of times. Maybe she had another trick up her sleeves.

Anyway, Jane's entrance was Cho's cue to leave. He knew what was coming next and didn't want to hang around for it. He didn't want to be in the bullpen either. Not knowing what Lisbon's reaction would be.

"You do that." Lisbon said to his retreating back as she took a sip of lukewarm chocolate and made a face. It was more revolting cold than it had been hot. How was it even possible for chocolate to taste so nasty? Wasn't it supposed to be like sex? Even the bad stuff was supposedly good. Not true in this case. She honestly couldn't fathom it; but, she wasn't buying that brand of cup anymore. Oh, yeah, she hadn't bought them in the first place. Jane had and that box had been expensive. What a waste of her penitent consultant's money. She'd have to let him know so he wouldn't buy her more. "Alright, Jane, what gives?"

Lisbon turned her attention to her rumpled mentalist. Jane was pulling that shaggy look she didn't like again and he didn't have a good excuse anymore. Oh, yeah, maybe he did. He was still pretty torn up over losing Lorelei. Mercifully it wasn't from the standpoint of any personal feelings. She'd finally accepted the fact the woman was simply the means to an end. Lisbon wasn't sure she was any more comfortable with Jane being that cold blood than she was when she'd thought there might be something emotional there. Then again, it really shouldn't surprise her. Jane had never made any secret he was willing to go as far as it took to get Red John.

"You might want to sit down, Lisbon." Jane said in a voice tipping Lisbon to what he was going to say by its gentleness even more so than the cup of steaming coffee he pressed in her hands.

"They found Leslie." Still standing, Lisbon read the truth in his eyes. No wonder Cho had beat a path out of her office like he'd just seen a mega man eating roach. Seeing his fiesty boss cry would be just as bad in his eyes. Well, she had news for her right hand man. She was all cried out.

"Yeah, Lisbon, they did." Jane confirmed her worse fears.

"Where?" She asked taking a sip from the cup and deciding if she didn't know better she'd think Jane had slipped something in there that didn't belong like a healthy slug of whisky. "Jane, I so better not be tasting what I think I am."

"Would I do that? Shush and drink you coffee, Lisbon. I'm certainly not letting you drive under the circumstances." Jane watched Lisbon sink in her chair nursing her coffee as he sat on the edge of her desk. "As for where they found her, I don't think you really want to know."

"They found her outside of town by the side of some disused road." Lisbon spoke with the voice of a seasoned cop far more used to such scenarios than she should be.

"Yes, Lisbon, I'm afraid they did." Jane gently touched her cheek not really wanting to see the pain in her eyes. He wasn't displeased when she blindly turned her cheek into his hand.

He knew far more about Lisbon than most people thought he did. She kept her professional and private lives separate; but, she did have one. A private life and she had friends. Granted, they were friends she didn't see that often due to the nature of her job. That being said, the friendships she had were close. Leslie was one of the closest. Jane had met the woman a few times. He'd even joined them for dinner a time or two over the years thoroughly enjoying basking in the company of two attentive, good looking women neither of whom were trying to take him home at the end of the evening. He'd been able to see exactly why they were friends.

Leslie was everything Lisbon wasn't in a lot of ways. Off the clock, the woman was whacky, hilarious, free spirited, and unrepentantly promiscuous when the mood struck. Jane suspected her personality was as much due to the years spent working a very dangerous job where one wrong move could cost her existence as it was to anything else. She lived on the edge squeezing every drop she could out of life. He'd liked her a lot and thought she was good for Lisbon. Goodness knows his woman was much too serious most of the time. Jane kicked that slip of the whatever to the back of his mind not to be revisited later. Lisbon was much too serious most of the time. A typical lady cop and a fine one he might add.

"Where?" Lisbon asked again.

"The back forty on the old Smithson place. A hunter out with his dog stumbled across the nude body of a blonde haired woman on some road that isn't really a road near the woods at the property line." Jane informed Lisbon in more detail than he really wanted all in the name of preparing her for what would come. "Quite obviously he was trespassing and everyone knows nothing good ever comes from trespassing."

Jane caught the hint of a smile cross her lips at his quip. Lisbon was used to his gallows humor by now and didn't think much of it. Leslie would have appreciated it even more. She'd been the queen of dark cop humor. She wouldn't have minded a little directed her way.

"We're going out there." The words passing Lisbon's lips weren't a question.

"Yeah, as soon as you finish your coffee and brush your teeth. We can't have you smelling like what wasn't in there." Jane reminded her.

"Right." Lisbon drained her coffee and reached for the small case in her bottom drawer. She needed to swing by the ladies room to fix her face and brush her teeth. She hoped she still had a judicious amount of mouth wash in that tiny bottle. She'd certainly need it. She also hoped she didn't have to talk to anyone in passing.

"I'll take care of this while you do that." Jane scooped her empty cup and the half full one of the putrid hot chocolate that looked vaguely congealed in his hands. Sniffing the cup, Jane made a mental note to toss that box in the trash and buy another brand. On second thought, he'd buy another box of flavored coffee instead. "Meet me at the SUV. I'll need the keys before you go."

"What makes you think I'm letting you drive anywhere?" Much less drive her SUV.

"The fact you're in no state to drive and you've ridden with me plenty of times before." Jane stated.

"Fine. Get the keys out of my purse." Walking out the door Lisbon knew she was going to regret letting him do that before the day was over. She just knew it. But, at the moment she didn't really care.

#

Eyes closed, Lisbon sincerely hoped Leslie hadn't been killed by a jilted lover as Jane believed. A case gone awry or a cover blown were things she could handle. Getting popped to prevent her from being the one who got away was too much to handle. If a good cop had to die of anything other than natural causes, it should be in the field doing the job she loved. Not because some freak wasn't man enough let her go.

"Jane, how do you know where the old Smithson farm is? It's thirty miles outside of Sacramento." Lisbon asked.

"I went to a séance there once." Jane said as he efficiently changed lanes.

"You what?" Lisbon opened her eyes and sat up in her seat. This ought to be good and she could use the distraction for a few minutes.

"I conducted a séance there a number of years ago. It was a swanky party one of Smithson's granddaughter's gave. She wanted to get in touch with her cousin Skippy who died in jail after accidentally killing his girlfriend and feeding her to the pigs." Jane embellished the story.

"No one was fed to the pigs at the Smithson Estate, Jane. It isn't that kind of farm. The girl was drowned in the pool in the course of an argument and it was certainly no accident though if someone had named me Skipper Smithson I might turn into a homicidal maniac, too." Lisbon corrected him.

"Juliet wanted to know if Skippy was indeed a murderer. It seemed there was some question among the family whether he'd really done it or if Lila had simply fallen in and hit her head." Jane continued.

"Right, and they needed to hold a swanky party and invite all their friends for that." Lisbon's tone said some rich people were fools.

"Evidently Jules thought so." Jane confirmed. There had been some of the wealthiest people in Sacramento at that soiree. He'd gotten quite a few new clients for his trouble.

"Jules?" Lisbon quirked a brow at him.

"She thought I was the beau de jour or maybe just a tasty treat before moving on. It took me a good while to convince her I was a happily married man and father. The pictures didn't cut it. I finally had to hypnotize Juliet to convince her she was really interested in Leon. They've been happily married every since." Jane tapped the breaks lightly not at all happy with how slow the car in front of him was moving in comparison to the rest of the cars around them.

"You hypnotized a woman into marrying her husband?" Lisbon's tone was horrified.

"No, Lisbon, I hypnotized Jules into believing it was Leon she was attracted to instead of me. My ploy would never have worked had she not been interested in the first place. Besides, it wasn't misplaced lust. I'd seen the way Batista was devouring her with his eyes all night. I just turned her in his very receptive direction. I certainly had nothing to do with them getting married or making like bunnies and producing more offspring than Peter Rabbit." Jane's tone was very put upon.

"Sure, like I'm going to believe that one." Lisbon tried to stifle a giggle at the more offspring than Peter Rabbit comment. Only Jane would come up with that one. "How many children do they have, Jane?" She couldn't resist asking.

"Five or six last time I heard and another on the way. I'm afraid no one needs to ask what they spend a disproportionate amount of time doing." Looking at a passing sign, Jane realized they were within twenty minutes of their destination and Lisbon's whole world changing.

"I'd say not. Was Skippy guilty or did hang himself in jail because he was innocent?" Lisbon asked being reasonably familiar with the case. Familiar enough to know Skipper Smithson had hanged himself at 34 six months after being convicted of killing Yvette Langdon his known girlfriend and reported fiancé one dark and stormy night.

"Guilty as sin, Lisbon." Jane confirmed.

"And he admitted that from the great beyond?" Lisbon's tone was slightly mocking.

"Hardly, Lisbon, I found Yvette's diary in the hidey hole behind the liquor cabinet. She was three months pregnant with her adopted brother's child. She wasn't marrying Skippy because she loved him. She was marrying him to avoid the scandal that would wreak havoc on her family's good name.

It seems Skippy caught them in a compromising enough situation to suspect the truth and confronted her about it. Yvette admitted the truth in such a way her erstwhile fiancé lost it. When he came back to himself, his lover was floating face down in the pool deader than a doornail and poor Skippy was rather screwed." Lisbon's eyes widened at her mentalist's choice of words. While she could hear Cho say that, it didn't feel particularly all that Jane.

"And you found all of that written in the victim's diary?" The look on Lisbon's face conveyed somehow she didn't believe that.

"Of course not, Lisbon, it was in the confession Skippy stuck in Yvette's diary before he hid it in the secret compartment behind the liquor cabinet only the eldest son knew about as it was passed from father to son on the heir's eighteenth birthday. How I discovered the hidey hole in the first place is a tale for another day as I'd say we've arrived a bit earlier than I planned." Reaching out, Jane lightly patted Lisbon's hand reassuringly.

"I had no idea we were so close." Looking at the cop cars all around them, she'd say they'd definitely arrived. Jane had done a good job of keeping her adequately distracted. And an equally good job of driving far too much over the speed limit for her comfort level. "I guess it's time to put on my big girl panties and get the job done." Lisbon broke stare with Jane before opening her door and sliding to the ground. Leaning into the seat, she asked the final question on her mind.

"So why did Skippy kill himself?"

"Because in predictable asinine romantic bad boy fashion, Skippy couldn't live with what he'd done. So he chose to die ignobly hanging in his cell by a bed sheet. Do not ask me how he accomplished that. Where there's a will there's a way I suppose." Jane answered Lisbon as he fell into step beside her. He'd come in the back way so Lisbon never noticed the sprawling manor house to her right. She'd been much too engrossed in his story.

"Agent Teresa Lisbon, CBI." Lisbon flashed her badge at the officer in charge before taking a step towards the crime scene as she pulled the latex gloves from her pocket and slipped them on her hands. Preparing to kneel by the covered body, her attention was snagged by the M.E. instead. Walking over to speak to the man for a few minutes, she left Jane poking around at all that was left of Leslie Dupres.

"I'm sorry, Lisbon, I truly am." Jane said as Lisbon came to kneel beside him feeling the expected sadness at the loss of a human life. Especially the life of someone he'd actually known.

"He threw her out on the side of the road like road kill, Jane. The M.E. said she would have likely lived if he'd taken her to a hospital instead." Lisbon resisted the urge to brush Leslies' long dark hair from her cheek. She'd gone brunette for the op foregoing her natural golden blonde locks and fresh faced beauty in favor of a more exotic look.

"Lisbon, he never intended her to live. He wouldn't have shot her if he did." Jane gently reminded her.

"What's your take, Jane?" Lisbon wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"She's posed as you can see. He wanted to humiliate her in death as he feels she humiliated him in life hence the lack of clothes when there is obviously no signs of rape or any other injury other than the two bullet wounds in her chest. Oh, and some slight bruising on her arm where he grabbed her turning her around to face him. Other than that, I wouldn't call it a crime of passion.

It was well thought out vengeance in response for the victim dumping him. His response was well planned right down to how he was going to dispose of the body. That he is intimately familiar with the Smithson estate may indicate a certain social class." Jane resisted the urge to run his hand over Lisbon's bent back soothingly. Though she was seemingly holding up well, he could see what being at this crime scene was costing her in the taunt lines of her back.

"Thank you, Jane , that sounds like as good a conclusion as any at this point." Lisbon dragged the sheet back up to cover her friend's face. "We were supposed to meet at the gym on Tuesday." Lisbon's hand was visibly shaking as she made the remark so softly only Jane could hear.

The tremor was slight; but, Jane noted it. Reaching out, he took her hand in his hiding the movement as he drew her to her feet on the uneven ground. Keeping his hand on her arm, Jane listened to Lisbon make her departing remarks before guiding her back towards their SUV. Though she was doing a remarkable job of keeping up appearances; the sooner they were on their way back to the office the better.

Minelli and LaRoche were watching her closely on this one. They thought she was much too close to the case and hadn't wanted her working the case. She'd somehow convinced them she could remain neutral in spite of her closeness to the victim. They'd agreed to give her the chance with the caveat they'd snatch the file from her desk at the first sign she was crumbling. Watching her click her seatbelt, Jane closed the door and walked around to the driver's side fully intending to insure that file stayed exactly where it belonged.

"Why don't you close your eyes and rest? I'll wake you when we get back to the CBI. We can compare notes then." Jane said as he turned the key in the ignition.

"You have notes, Jane?" Lisbon tapped her fingers on her thigh absently.

"Yeah, Lisbon, I have notes. I'm going to predict we'll have the perp in custody by the end of next week. I just have a couple of favors to call in that will take a little time. Seriously, Lisbon, why don't you close your eyes? You'll feel better." Jane said as he reached out to entwine his fingers through the fingers nervously beating a tattoo against one firm thigh.

"While I appreciate it, Jane, I think I'd rather you use that hand to drive. We'll be hitting multiple lanes soon." Lisbon stated the truth. Jane tended to drive a little erratically at the best of times without doing it single handed.

"Fine, until we get there, I'd rather do this. At the moment we're on double lanes with little to no traffic driving 25 mph. I seriously doubt we're in any real danger." Jane squeezed her hand before releasing her fingers and adding his second hand to the wheel pleased to note his passenger visibly relaxed. "Tell me about Leslie."

"We met at the Academy. She called me a bitch and I punched her in the nose." Lisbon said with a hint of a smile on her face at the ancient memories.

"Were you, Lisbon?" Jane asked noting the tear coursing from beneath one closed lid.

"What?" Lisbon asked.

"A bitch?" Jane asked.

"Yeah, I think I might have been. We were both after the same guy. The future Detective Joseph Dupres though he was just a rookie like us back then." Lisbon confessed.

"I see. Who got the prize?" Jane found he really wanted to know. Was he honest, he found the idea of Lisbon going after any man rather intriguing on several different levels.

"Leslie eventually married the cheating jerk. She was more exciting than me. It lasted all of two years before she caught him in bed with his female partner. That was all she wrote. Leslie really loved that philandering ass. I think she cried on my shoulder for a month." Lisbon wiped a tear away with the back of her hand.

"What happened next?" Keeping Lisbon talking seemed to be pretty good therapy for her. Jane couldn't help laughing at the scrapes he'd never believe his straight lace boss would get into if someone else were telling him. It seems he wasn't the first bad influence in Lisbon's life.

"Joe came after me before the ink was even dry on the divorce decree." Lisbon said still smirking from recounting how they'd sneaked out the back entrance of a restaurant on an undercover assignment gone awry. Leslie ended up with the owner and head chef's telephone number before the door hit them in the butt.

"Yeah? What did you say?" Jane asked glad that she was laughing through her tears.

"What do you think?" Lisbon asked.

"You told him to go screw himself." Jane could hear her snappy comeback in his head.

"Yeah, Jane, I think I did." Lisbon confirmed. "In just those words. Then I called Leslie and we went out to celebrate her freedom from that louse. I've never had a hangover so bad before or since." Lisbon wasn't so sure she was wise in admitting her secrets to Jane.

"Do you think the ex might have had something to do with Leslie's murder?" Jane asked.

"He was a jerk, Jane; but Joe would never hurt Leslie. They ran into each other frequently and were on friendly terms. They both moved on a long time ago." Lisbon was disturbed by the niggling thoughts in her mind. "You don't think it's possible?"

"I honestly don't know, Lisbon; but, I think we've got several potential suspects we need to check out." Jane confirmed though he was already pretty darned sure who'd killed Leslie Dupres and why. He just needed the proof.

"Jane, do not go after a fellow cop without clearing it through me. I mean it." Lisbon threatened.

"Who said anything about going after a cop?" Jane asked.

"I know how your devious mind works." Lisbon reminded him.

"Yeah, I guess you do. I won't go after anyone without discussing it with you first, Lisbon. Leslie was your friend...Oh, look, we're home." Jane said as he parked the SUV in the assigned slot in the CBI parking lot.

"Yeah, Jane, I guess we are." Lisbon clicked her seat belt open.

"You okay, Lisbon? No breaking down in front of the big guys." Jane reaffirmed as he exited the vehicle.

"No breaking down in front of the big guys." Lisbon stood on the pavement waiting for Jane to join her.

"Good." Jane fell in step beside Lisbon as they walked across the parking lot.

"Thank you, Jane." For the first time in what seemed like forever, Lisbon didn't want to choke on the words.

"Not thanks are necessary, Lisbon. That's what I'm here for." Jane opened the door for Lisbon and followed her down the hall.

"Yeah, I think maybe you are now." Lisbon agreed.

"I'll always have your back. You don't have to ever doubt that." Jane whispered in her ear as he followed Lisbon into the elevator and watched the doors close.


	6. Chapter 6

This is simply a short chapter to get back in the flow of things after a long absence. ~Calla

#

Sitting back in her chair, Lisbon glanced at her watch to see that it was close to seven o'clock before turning her attention back to the file before her. She'd had her face immersed in Leslie's case for close to six hours without a break. Her team hadn't disturbed her and Jane had wisely remained out of her hair. The thought briefly crossed her mind she hoped Minelli nor LaRoche were still milling about to witness her exit. Something deep inside told her that would not be good.

Also, she didn't need either of them to realize how obsessed she was becoming with catching her friend's murderer. Neither of them was all that crazy about having her on the case anyway. One misstep from her would be a PR nightmare. She could already feel Bertram breathing down her neck at that pleasant thought. Big boss or no, there were times when the man gave her the willies and LaRoche even more so. As for Minelli, he was more like a disapproving father with a rebellious daughter and he was fully capable of putting his foot down when he felt it necessary. She could already sense that moment was fast approaching.

Lisbon didn't bother looking up as she heard a certain someone enter her office without knocking yet again. She simply ran her hand through her hair and continued reading. Whatever Jane wanted would come out before he was done. It always did and usually not in a manner she appreciated. Until they reached that point, however, she was simply ignoring him.

"Lisbon, we're done for the day." Jane said as he reached over to close the file.

"Excuse me, Mister, I was looking at that." Lisbon shot him a glare fully capable of searing the flesh from his bones.

"Not any more you're not." Jane daringly took the file from her hands and tucked it safely back in the bottom left hand drawer of her desk.

"Jane." Resisting the urge to cringe, Jane placed his hand under her chin directing Lisbon's attention to his face.

"Teresa, you've been in here too long. No one's seen you for hours. Minelli and LaRoche have had a couple of behind closed doors meetings and several secretive phone calls in the interim. Neither of us needs to wonder who they were talking about." Jane told her quietly.

"How do you know that, Jane?" Lisbon asked not really wanting to know as she already had visions of bugs floating in her head.

"Nothing like what you think though I do have my ways. Suffice it to say my hearing is better than most." Jane refused to elaborate on the other tactics he'd employed. Some things were better left unsaid though none of them involved illegal electronic devices.

"That being said, what do you propose we do about it?" Lisbon asked since Jane was poking his nose into her business uninvited yet again and there was nothing she could do to stop him as the man could be quite persistent.

"We have reservations at Damiano's for eight." Jane told her. "I even brought you a change of clothes."

Lisbon noticed the familiar dress bag Jane was holding up for the first time and nearly blew a gasket. If he'd done what she thought he had, her mentalist was a dead man. She'd drag him up to the roof and throw him off. He'd get a few broken bones at the least if the fall didn't kill him.

"Jane." Her tone was dangerous again.

"Yes, Lisbon, I picked the lock on your door and rifled your closet." Jane admitted unrepentantly.

"You are so dead." Lisbon half rose from her chair contemplating the best place to hide the body once she was done. She'd rethought the whole tossing him off the roof idea. There would be too many witness even at this time of night.

"Kill me later. At the moment we need to distract Minelli and LaRoche from pulling the Dupres file from the team. In case you didn't know, they're both simply biding their time until you give them the justification they need to do just that." Jane unzipped the dress bag to expose a familiar black suit and a silky teal blouse. "You can't wear jeans to the restaurant."

"Why Damiano's, Jane?" Lisbon asked as she removed her clothes from her bag.

"It's the last place we went to dinner with Leslie. I thought you might enjoy remembering the good times. I certainly enjoyed myself and I think you did too." Jane sat the discarded dress bag aside. Though he'd acted like he hadn't known the woman the day Lorelei was killed, he'd known her quite well. He'd just been too preoccupied with his own problems to spare her a second thought.

"We both did. Leslie would have probably hit on you if she'd thought she had a snowball's chance in hell of scoring. You have that mad, bad, and dangerous vibe she got off on." Lisbon said as she shucked out of the plain black jacket she was wearing.

"You think?" Jane quirked a brow at her words. "Leslie was quite lovely and I'm sure if I'd been a different man I'd have probably taken her up on the offer."

"Shush, Jane, I do not want that image in my mind." No more than she wanted to consider him having sex with Lorelei.

"You started it." Jane watched Lisbon hesitate as though she was lost in thought.

"Actually, Leslie started it. She thought you were a hottie from the get go. I tried to convince her that hottie or not you really aren't worth the trouble you cause. The only reason I've kept you around all these years is you solve cases." Lisbon reached in the bulging pocket of her jacket as Jane prepared for fireworks. "Jane, what the hell? You went through my underwear drawer." Lisbon shoved the teal bra and panties back in her jacket pocket.

"Yes, I did and all I can say is, Agent Lisbon, who knew under your conservative exterior beats the heart of a red blooded woman?" Jane smirked at her brightly hued cheeks.

"Bite me, Jane." Lisbon snarled as she decided he hadn't seen anything too bad in spite of his teasing. Not that there was anything particularly naughty in there anyway. Besides, as often as Jane had been at her place over the years, he'd probably discovered all of her secrets long ago.

"Teasing aside, that was what Leslie gave you for your birthday that night." Jane said quietly remembering the blush suddenly suffusing Lisbon from head to toe as she shoved her gift back in the bag refusing to allow him even a glimpse of what she was hiding. It hadn't taken Leslie's amused snicker for him to know the gift was of the intimate nature.

"How do you know that?" Lisbon said giving needless confirmation to his proclamation.

"I knew it was lingerie of some kind by your reaction and that set was the only one not in keeping with everything else in your drawer. While you have quite a few pieces any man would enjoy seeing you in, you would never buy something so femininely provocative for yourself." Jane observed.

"How do you know someone didn't give it to me?" And she didn't mean Leslie.

"Lisbon, we both know you haven't been that involved with a man in years." Jane called her on her remark.

"You know entirely too much about me, Jane, now scat so I can get dressed." Lisbon found as aggravating as Jane was currently being the idea of dinner at Damiano's was growing on her. "Now, unless you want to get an eyeful of your Boss you really don't want to see."

"I wouldn't say that, Teresa. Perhaps I'd very much like to see." There was a timbre to his voice Lisbon deliberately chose to ignore.

"Out." Lisbon said as she reached down to pull her shirt over her head satisfied Jane was already closing the door behind him.

Hearing the lock click behind him, Jane meandered around the corner to the break room. He might as well enjoy a cup of tea while he was waiting. It would take Lisbon all of ten, possibly fifteen, minutes to change and repair her makeup. Plenty of time to do what needed to be done Jane thought as he steeped his tea and discarded the leaves before taking a sip and silently declaring his concoction as perfect as usual. Once Lisbon was ready, all they had to do before leaving was swing by LaRoche's office where he knew conspiring was currently underway to make their final appearance.

"Jane, I'm ready." Lisbon said from where she stood in the hall.

"Give me a moment to wash my cup and put it away." Jane said as he did just that before walking over to join her. "You look nice."

"Thanks." Lisbon said as she turned towards the elevator.

"We have somewhere to go before we can leave." Jane said quietly at her questioning look. "LaRoche and Minelli are in his office right now discussing how they can pull you off the case. We need to pay our respects before we leave. It'll discourage them from taking premature action."

"Fine, lead the way." Lisbon really didn't know how saying good night would do anything to prevent her team from losing the Dupres case. The higher ups were going to do what they were going to do. There really wasn't anything she could do to stop them.

"You look good, Lisbon. Together. That's all you need to be." Jane reassured her well aware that she had been anything but most of the day.

Resisting the urge to take her hand or drape his arm comfortingly around her shoulders, Jane let the way towards LaRoche's office instead. In a matter of moments they had reached their destination. Contemplating announcing their presence, Jane decided to opt for the element of surprise instead.

"Gentlemen, we're leaving now. Damiano's is really nice this time of evening." Jane stuck his head into LaRoche's office without knocking Lisbon in tow.

"Agent Lisbon, long time no see." LaRoche sat back in his chair with his fingers steepled over his belly.

"I've been busy." Lisbon said.

"With the Dupres file." LaRoche studied her intently.

"The Daniels' file, too. We have three open cases at the moment." Lisbon corrected him. "I read over the Williams file, too, while I was at it though I didn't come up with anything new there."

"I see. You didn't even come out of your office for six hours, Agent Lisbon." LaRoche's tone clearly conveyed he didn't believe for a moment she'd taken even one quick glance at the Daniels' or Williams' cases.

"As you can see, I'm perfectly fine. I was just very busy." Lisbon said to both LaRoche and Minelli daring either one of them to contradict her words.

If they were expecting her to be all puffy eyed from crying, they were sorely mistaken. She was more professional than either of them was currently giving her credit for being. Besides, she'd cried herself out hours ago soon after she'd first locked herself in her office. There weren't any tears left at the moment.

"Actually, Sir, I was busy studying the forensics on Tiffany Daniels murder. I have a lead I'll need Cho to follow up on tomorrow. I was doing some background research that was pretty interesting and I let time get away from me. I didn't even remember our reservation until Jane reminded me." Lisbon confessed.

"You haven't been pursuing the Dupres case all this time?" LaRoche stared into Lisbon's eyes daring her to lie.

"No, Sir, I haven't. Jane thinks he's got Leslie's case solved anyway. We just have to get the proof." Lisbon said.

"I see, and who might the murderer be, Jane?" LaRoche learned forward in his chair shifting his attention back to Jane.

"As I don't have the necessary corroboration, I don't think that would be wise to say at the moment." Jane effectively side stepped the query.

"I see." LaRoche repeated again like a broken record.

"I'm sure you do, JJ, I'm sure you do. See, I mean. Well, while all of this is nice, we're going to say good bye or we'll be late for our reservations and they don't hold tables at Damiano's even when they aren't crowded." Jane said as he swept Lisbon out of the room leaving their bosses feeling like they'd just been outmaneuvered exactly as they had been.

LaRoche and Minelli now knew they had absolutely no leg to stand on in removing the Dupres case from Lisbon's team. Not since they'd allowed her to keep it in the first place. She showed no signs of cracking under the strain or of her faculties in any way being impeded by her closeness to the victim.

On the other hand, while they hadn't pressed her on the so called breakthrough she'd made in the Daniels case, if Agent Cho wasn't busily pursing that lead first thing in the morning things might be very different. Somehow, both LaRoche and Minelli knew that was exactly what would happen. Teresa Lisbon wasn't stupid enough to make such a claim under the circumstances without being able to back it up. Even if that meant she and Jane spent all night developing just such a lead.

#

"That went better than expected." Jane commented as he pulled out of the CBI parking lot pleased that Lisbon was continuing to allow him to drive. He really didn't feel comfortable putting his life in her hands considering the traumatic events of the day.

"Yeah, I guess it did." Lisbon agreed.

"I hope you have that lead for Cho in the morning." Jane really didn't want to spend their evening rehashing the Daniels' case.

"Yeah, Jane, I do. I had to take a break from studying Leslie's file every now and then." Lisbon confessed.

"Good. I didn't think you sounded like you were lying though you've gotten better at it over the years." Jane glanced at his watch comfortable they'd make it to the restaurant on time without any unnecessary speeding especially considering they were only a few blocks away. Besides, there were unaccountably more cops out tonight than he was comfortable with. Maybe it was because one of their own had recently been found dead.

"Coming from you that's a compliment." Lisbon's tone was dry.

"I guess it is. Lying well is an art that takes many years to develop." Jane confirmed as he digressed into a monologue on the finer points of spinning a believable tale having no grounding in reality that Lisbon found far more interesting than she let on. "Well, we're here." Jane said as he cut the ignition.

"Yeah, we are." Lisbon said as she opened her door and stood up before Jane could be a gentleman as she knew he wanted to be.

Somehow, gentlemanly Jane didn't sit well tonight though she was fine with him lightly draping his arm over her shoulders and escorting her inside. They weren't likely to run into anyone from the CBI. Damiano's wasn't really a cop kind of place though it apparently was a Jane kind of place as the hostess had just greeted him by name. Thinking back, she'd done the same that evening they all had dinner here, she and Leslie and Jane. Lisbon decided she'd pursue that one later as Jane held her chair for her.

"We'll take that bottle of Chianti now." Jane said to their server in a way that made Lisbon feel like their evening was already set up according to her escort's demands.

"Chianti?" Lisbon asked. That wasn't their usual intoxicating beverage of choice.

"It's what we had that night." Jane saw the light come on in Lisbon's eyes.

"Are you recreating the entire evening?" Lisbon asked quietly.

"Yeah, Lisbon, I am." Jane agreed. "I hope you don't mind. I think we all enjoyed ourselves immensely and it seemed to be the thing to do as we're celebrating a life tonight and not our loss."

"No, I don't mind" Lisbon said as she watched their server open the bottle of ruby wine and fill their glasses with Leslie's favorite brand. "You think Joe did it don't you?" Lisbon asked out of the blue. "You thought it was one of the criminials she was after; but, now you think it's Joe."

"Lisbon, I don't think we should discuss the case tonight. You need a break and there will be plenty of time for all of that tomorrow." Jane quietly reminded her.

"Yeah, there will; but, I still need you to answer the question. Then we can leave it alone." Lisbon said as she took a hearty sip of her wine.

"He's a strong possibility; but, I'm not sure. There are two candidates in my mind and I'm not sure if they acted alone or together." Jane admitted.

"You can't be serious. Who is the second candidate?" Lisbon asked.

"I'm not sure. There are three likely possibilities among the men she was investigating. You'll be the first to know as soon as I figure it out." Jane promised taking her hand in his.

"I better be." Lisbon growled not sure she liked this latest turn of events.

"You will be. Now, let's talk about happier things. Why don't you tell me another story about you and Leslie at the Police Academy?" Jane asked as their Caesar salads were placed in front of them with the dressing on the side as Leslie had liked it.

"What do you want to hear?" Lisbon asked as she plucked a steaming bread stick from the basket sitting in front of her and broke it in two.

"Something juicy." Jane admitted before taking a bite of his salad.

"Juicy?" Lisbon asked as she picked at her bread stick. "You seem to have an unhealthily salacious interest in Leslie's sex life."

"Yeah, well, Leslie was an unrepentantly sexual woman. It makes sense that most of her escapades would be of a more spicy nature." Jane reasonably declared.

"Whatever. There was her first undercover assignment where she infiltrated a high end strip club owned by a couple of brothers with ties to Estonia that were heavily into drugs and human trafficking. It was a really nasty case before it was over; but Leslie brought them down in six months. She got her first commendation for that one. She also got hurt a lot worse than she let anyone know and it changed her." Lisbon twirled her glass between her fingers.

"How?" Jane asked knowing he didn't really want to hear the words Lisbon spewed forth just as he knew she'd never be revealing the other woman's secrets if she weren't already gone.

"Leslie was tough, Jane; but she was a good cop and she was a good person. All she wanted to do was help people. She shouldn't have died that way." Lisbon said.

"No, she shouldn't have, Teresa; but, we're going to catch whoever did this. You have my word." Jane patted the hand he still hadn't released from earlier. "Why don't you tell me about that case?" It would do Lisbon more good to talk than to sit here brooding over what had happened to her friend.

"I went to see her dance one night. She was a natural, Jane, far more beauty than raunch and the men ate it up. She was head lining the club in a month and being pursued romantically by one of the brother's soon after. I didn't know it at the time but Leslie had fifteen years of classical dance training. She was a remarkable woman in so many ways…" Lisbon's voice trailed off as she pictured her friend's smiling face. "And she was a damned good cop."

Lisbon continued the story well aware of what Jane was doing and of the fact she'd have to thank him later. At the moment, all she truly wanted to do was remember her friend in the best possible light and he was helping her.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: It's been a long time since I've posted anything on this story as it wasn't getting that much interest initially. If there's enough interest this time around, I'll attempt updating more regularly since this seems to be the one story out of the three I have lingering out there my Muse is most interested in resurrecting. Sadly, this chapter has been sitting on my hard drive three quarters written for over six months.~Calla

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Jane watched Rodrigo set the Padellata di Vongole Cozze in front of them before disappearing as quietly as he'd come. That was one of the perks of knowing the management, actually the owners, of a fine restaurant. He was left in peace to enjoy his meal while knowing his server was only a finger crook away. And said server wouldn't dare give him a second glance for ordering their courses out of order as Leslie had done that night to mess with the kid's head.

He was simply repeating the process with the same put upon young man exactly as had been done before.

"Looks good and smells even better." Jane observed as he inhaled the aromatic broth.

"You remembered." Lisbon's eyes were slightly misty.

"Of course I remembered." Jane scooped a mussel from its shell and offered it to Lisbon. "That was an important night for all of us."

Leslie had been beautiful as she always was while Lisbon had been stunning in a way he'd never seen her. There was something about her old friend that had brought out the best in her. Jane had felt privileged to be out with two such incredible women. It didn't hurt that he'd had a blast even if he'd had to continually fend off the blonde's good natured passes the entire night.

They'd all had a blast finishing their night at Lisbon's watching movies where Leslie had eventually taken the guest room and he'd slept on the couch as he usually did.

"You can't feed me in the middle of Damiano's." Lisbon said as she nibbled the mussel off the end of his fork anyway.

"Leslie did." Jane reminded her.

"Leslie fed both of us like a fool; but, Leslie was Leslie." Lisbon commented with a smile. "She could get away with anything."

"I suppose she could." Scooping a clam from its shell, Jane repeated the process of offering the succulent morsel to Lisbon.

"Jane, honestly, what if someone sees us?" Lisbon savored the clam in spite of her words. "They'd think we were on a date."

"They'd be almost right." Jane said seizing the opportunity she'd unwittingly given him.

"You can't be serious." Lisbon snorted dismissively deciding Leslie wasn't the only one who could be a fool.

They were having their own private Wake for Detective Leslie Dupres…end of story.

Whatever inappropriate nonsense Jane might be thinking.

"Not about tonight, no, I'm not. We're honoring a dear friend. But, some other night, I'd certainly like to do this again." Jane was slightly amused by the sudden flush staining Lisbon's cheeks betraying the fact she might feel the same. "Say next Saturday night at _The Woodcreek Grill_ around seven? I'll swing by to pick you up at six thirty." Jane took another sip of Chianti.

"You can't be serious." Lisbon repeated with less force than before.

"I'm perfectly serious, Lisbon." Jane fiddled with freeing a clam from its shell. "Yes or no?"

"It's against the rules." Lisbon said quietly.

"Perhaps in the strictest definition it's pushing it; but, who cares? I'm asking you out to dinner, Teresa, nothing more. If someone gets their knickers in a knot over that, it's a mighty slow week. We both know the CBI's a hopping place, so let them say what they want." Jane watched Lisbon's eyes following the clam to his lips covetously.

"_The Woodcreek Grill_, huh?" Another high end restaurant with a waiting list two miles long and rave reviews she'd always wanted to visit.

Tossing the idea around in her mind, Lisbon decided she might not like fancy dress involving fancy dresses; but, she certainly appreciated fancy restaurants and Jane was playing that card for all it was worth. He'd figured out early on, one of the ways to her heart was through her stomach and he hadn't been wrong. Not when it was going on his tab.

"The food is good and the company better." Jane coaxed. "Say 'yes,' Teresa, so we can get back to the point of our evening."

"Do I have to wear a dress?" Lisbon asked through squinty eyes dreading his response.

"Not if you don't want to though I certainly wouldn't mind." Jane answered honestly. "You do have lovely legs I enjoy ogling."

"Then, yes, you can pick me up at six thirty." Lisbon resisted the urge to smack herself upside the head for stupidity.

She couldn't believe she'd actually agreed to go out with her consultant. Not that she didn't want to. But there was a big difference between wanting something and doing it. One was simple folly; the other actively courting insanity. Jane drove her batty as it was. She so didn't need to make it personal.

Yet, deep in her soul, she wanted to.

"Consider it a date." Jane grabbed a chunk of bread from the basket as he studied Lisbon's face.

"Don't say that out loud." Lisbon admonished him as she broke off a piece of his bread and carried it to her mouth.

"Right, like that little trick isn't telling." Jane rolled his eyes at her knowing they were both pushing the envelope tonight if prying eyes were watching, and frankly, he truly didn't give a damn. "Do you think Leslie slept with her marks?" He asked out of the blue knowing exactly what he thought.

"Between you and me, I think Leslie did whatever it took to make a collar." Lisbon admitted. "I think it was only by the grace of God she got away with as much as she did. Unfortunately, the bad guys won in the end."

"Perhaps; but, she still did a lot of good." Jane's lips curved thinking about the vivacious women he hadn't known all that well.

Yet, while that was true, he _had_ known Leslie well enough to admire her bold, hip swaggering style. She was a woman after his heart. From what he'd seen, the end always justified the means in her world and that was a mindset he understood quit well. They were kindred spirits in that respect if no other.

"Yeah, she did, and the bad guys still seemed to love her even as they were being carted off to jail." Lisbon smirked ruefully at that incongruity.

"Quite an accomplishment I'd say." Jane watched Roddy place their entrees in front of them.

"This is what Leslie ordered that night." Lisbon recalled tasting her red wine braised beef with root vegetables. "It was delicious."

"Yes, it was, and it is." Jane glanced at his perfectly cooked beef accompanied by potatoes, carrots, and celery root.

"You know, the person Leslie turned out to be wasn't the idealistic woman she was in the beginning. It was more a by-product of events in her life than who she set out to be." Lisbon remarked losing herself in thought. "Joe's betrayal changed her. That and what happened when her first case went awry."

"The Estonian brothers you mentioned." Jane recalled from her earlier conversation.

"Yeah, the Estonian brothers she brought down." Lisbon agreed. "Hillar raped her and Aleksy saved her."

"I'm betting the two of you never told anyone about that." Jane said quietly.

"She told me and that was enough." Lisbon said. "We knew they'd pull her from the field for a while…probably permanently…Leslie didn't want that."

"So you kept your mouth shut." Jane watched Lisbon take a bite of beef.

"I suppose I did." She agreed before taking a bite of potato and chewing thoughtfully.

"I'm impressed." Jane sipped his wine. "You've surprised me tonight. I didn't think you were that good at keeping secrets. Not when it involved outright lying. But, Bosco _and Leslie_, I find that over the top."

"Don't." Lisbon said quietly. "I've always told you that you don't know everything there is to know about me."

"I don't suppose I do." Jane conceded.

"Trust me, you don't." Lisbon pushed at her wine glass.

"But Leslie did." Jane observed.

"I guess." Lisbon agreed. "I know more about her."

"Because she was more open that you." Jane stopped the fingers drumming on the table top with his hand.

"Yeah, I guess, though I'd say needier." Lisbon sniffed quietly. "Damn it, Jane, I let her down."

"No, you didn't." Jane wrapped his fingers around hers. "Whatever was going on, coming to you would have probably gotten Leslie killed sooner, and maybe you, if it turns out to be someone she was after. You have to accept there truly wasn't anything you could have done to stop this. What we can do is find her killer."

Lisbon nodded at his words as she visibly fought to regain her composure.

"I don't know how this happened. Leslie was the best undercover officer I've ever seen. She could be anyone she had to be and do anything she had to do. She used to convince herself she was temporarily in love with those monsters she was after until she finally caught them. Then come to me to talk her down. We'd have a girl's night in at my place or I'd go to hers." Lisbon stared at Jane's fingers entwined through hers thinking that really didn't look right.

Not in such a public place.

"You'd end up getting smashed." Jane gripped her hand a little tighter.

"Leslie would." Lisbon snorted knowing Jane knew she didn't drink that much. "Get smashed right out of her gourd."

"I'll bet she was a handful drunk." Jane watched Lisbon shaking her head ruefully.

"You don't want to know." Lisbon smiled at the memories. "There was this one guy I didn't think she'd ever get over a couple of years back. He was some crazy-assed, mean as a snake, Irish mafia type sicko running arms, designer drugs, and high classed call girls for a living. But, he treated her like a queen. It didn't hurt that he was filthy rich, well educated, better looking than most movie stars, and really good in bed to hear Leslie tell it." Lisbon blushed recalling exactly what Leslie had told she'd not wanted to hear and how explicitly she'd told it. "She cried for a month after she put him away."

"But she got over him." Jane placed his fork on his empty plate.

"Actually, she never did." Lisbon admitted. "He got off on a technicality that had nothing to do with Leslie or her case and went back to his massive estate in Ireland. I think it had something to do with being some kind of government informant. We never got the details so I don't really know. Apparently he never got over Leslie either even knowing she was a cop. What I do know is he asked her to come live with him and she almost went. He wanted to marry her. I think Joe finally talked some sense into her. I also think they were still in contact the last time I talked to her and he was still working on her.

Oh, shit." Lisbon ran her hand over her face. "That's just what we need."

"What?" Jane leaned a little closer towards Lisbon.

"Liam whatever-the-hell his name is sending someone over here to find out who killed Leslie." Lisbon said quietly. "He's not above that kind of thing and if he does figure it out, the killer is a dead man. I can guarantee that. We don't need that kind of trouble."

"No, we don't." Jane agreed. "But, we can't do anything about it tonight. I suggest we have coffee and dessert instead."

Jane also realized Lisbon had unwittingly given him a motive making one of the candidates in his head far more likely to be their killer than the other. Men had killed for less than losing "their" woman to another man. Even if said woman was only theirs in the confines of their mind.

"Tiramisu?" Lisbon asked.

"Tiramisu and that decadent Cream Cake just like that night." Jane remember the disbelief he'd felt watching them fight over their desserts like a couple of kids in an upscale restaurant.

Fortunately, they'd been stuffed away in a darkened corner at the same table they were seated at now. Not that he really cared one way or the other. He'd enjoyed watching their silliness. Personally, he'd also thought Leslie managed to steal more of Lisbon's Tiramisu in the end than Lisbon had stolen of her Cream Cake.

"That looks good." Lisbon watched as the coffee and cake was set in front of them.

"Yes, it does." Jane agreed deciding Leslie might have been on to something.

Lisbon's Tiramisu definitely looked better than his Cream Cake.

"You know, she never stopped talking about you after that night." Lisbon said quietly. "I think Leslie had a crush on you."

"I'm probably the only red blooded male who ever got away." Jane stole a bite of Tiramisu from Lisbon's plate.

"Hey, eat your own cake." Lisbon smacked at his fork with hers. "You're probably the only one who wanted to get away."

"Probably." Jane agreed. "All I can say is a little unrequited lust never hurt anyone."

"I think it was a little more than lust although Leslie would have gladly shown you how it's done if you'd have allowed it." Lisbon admitted. "Leslie saw another damaged soul in you. I think she was drawn to that whole tragic hero thing you do so well."

"I'm hardly a hero, Teresa." Jane said quietly.

"No, you're not." Lisbon agreed though he was certainly tragic whether he wanted to admit it or not. "But, you can be compelling when you want to be."

"As Leslie was a compelling woman." Jane agreed. "But, that's not to say two compelling people should end up together. As unbelievable as it might seem, I prefer grumpy brunettes with maternal streaks and mean right hooks."

"I'm not grumpy." Lisbon said as she scooped the last bite of Tiramisu.

"Who said I was talking about you?" Jane took a sip of the tea he'd ordered instead of coffee.

"Shush, Jane." Lisbon rolled her eyes at him.

"Finish your coffee and I'll take you home." Jane motioned silently for the check.

"I'd like that." Lisbon realized there was a reason she suddenly wasn't feeling any pain as she drained her cup.

She'd had three glasses of wine to Jane's unfinished single glass. The alcohol was starting to hit her. For once, she was glad that insufferable man who'd never let her live this down was driving or she'd definitely be calling a cab. Lisbon snickered at that thought.

She was rarely glad Jane was driving under any circumstances.

Watching him write in a generous tip and sign the receipt, Lisbon rose silently to her feet not all that surprised to feel Jane's hand encircling hers. While she should care they were holding hands in a public place, Lisbon really didn't. It wasn't the first time they ever held hands and it wouldn't be the last. It didn't mean anything. They were friends and they were allowed to touch each other in such a casual way.

If anyone wanted to make something of, they were welcome to try.

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Unlocking her door, Jane led Lisbon inside and locked the door behind them. Watching her head off to do a walk through of every room in her apartment as she'd done every night since Red John entered her life; he headed into the kitchen to fill the kettle. Settling the kettle on the burner and turning the knob, Jane rooted in the cabinet for his stash of tea. Tonight, they were having a lovely pineapple chamomile blend. It would do wonders for Lisbon's overwrought nerves and anxiety.

Grabbing a couple of cups and saucers from the cabinet, Jane was surprised to feel arms encircling his chest from behind and a cheek pressing into his back. Turning around, he pulled Lisbon into his arms noting she'd shed her jacket somewhere along the way. Holding her lightly, he was somewhat surprised when she stood on her tiptoes to press her lips into his. He was more surprised by the tongue intruding where it had never been. Tasting the Chianti on her lips, Jane kissed Lisbon back acceptingly. He wasn't about to turn her away when he'd wanted to do just this for years. When her hands went to his shirt, however, he halted her actions.

"I could tell you exactly what you're doing to me right now and what I want to do to you in return; but, I won't. It's unnecessary vulgarity I'll happily show you when the time is right." Jane said as he kissed her one last time. "Unfortunately, that time isn't now."

While Lisbon was far from drunk, or even tipsy, she was buzzed just enough to take the edge off her inhibitions...Without the added trauma of seeing her closest friend's naked body a few short hours ago...She wouldn't be making a move on him otherwise. Overt passes wasn't her style. Tossing out hints and waiting for him to accept her offer he could see. The fingers slowly unbuttoning his shirt even now, in spite of his earlier protests, were definitely no way.

If there was one thing Lisbon did instinctively, it was respect boundaries…especially ones he'd so clearly set.

"It could be." Lisbon rasped softly.

"No, Lisbon, it couldn't." Jane said quietly. "I won't take advantage of a bad situation and I won't allow you to do so either. You aren't Leslie and I'm not a mark. Neither of us is using the other that way. We'd both regret it in the morning."

"Maybe." Lisbon wasn't sure as she'd wanted to get Jane naked for years.

From the look in his eyes, he wasn't against the idea…just the circumstances.

"Trust me, we would." Jane said firmly stepping back. "Why don't you go change into your pajamas like a good girl while I make us both a cup of tea?"

"I can do that." Lisbon agreed thankful Jane was giving her an easy way out of what could prove an embarrassing situation before it was over.

"And, in case you're wondering, Teresa, this isn't a 'no.'" Jane dropped a kiss on her forehead. "It's a 'not now' when you're hurting so bad." Jane dropped a kiss on her lips.

"I'll hold you to it." Lisbon said quietly returning his closed mouth kiss.

"You won't have to." Jane said. "I'll hold both of us to it."

"You do that." Lisbon said as she wandered towards the stairs lost in thought.

As much as she'd love to lose herself in exploring the forbidden, Jane was right. She would regret it in the morning. She'd regret short changing both of them. When they finally took that life altering step, if they ever did, the skin sliding against skin should be about them.

Not some misplaced attempt to chase her ghosts away.


	8. Chapter 8

Making her way up the stairs into her room, Lisbon tried to forget she'd made a very overt play for Jane. That she'd kissed him in a manner she'd only dreamed about. Actually, she'd done more than that. She'd run her hands over his naked chest and let him know in no uncertain terms that _she would_ if _he would_ and…He'd turned her down flat…Not exactly turned her down and certainly not flat…More like demanded a rain check for another day.

One he clearly intended eventually claiming from the look in his eyes.

Looking towards her door, Lisbon suddenly snorted…_Eventually_ most likely meant when hell froze over…She _was_ dealing with _Jane _and Jane had a way of reneging on those kinds of things.

Kicking off her shoes and placing them neatly where they belonged, Lisbon's thoughts moved on to other things. Shrugging out of her jacket, she surveyed her closet before reaching for a hanger. She had to hand it to Jane. He was good…He was very good…She wouldn't have known he'd rifled her closet if he hadn't brought her clothes to her office. Talk about gaining new respect for the man!

Every hanger was almost as neurotically spaced as she tried to keep them and that had taken serious work.

Laughing softly at the ridiculousness of the moment, Lisbon quickly hung her jacket, shirt, and pants before walking over to her dresser to open a drawer. Tossing her tank and pants on her bed, she rummaged through a second drawer for panties and a bra. She wasn't about to go back downstairs in shorts or sans undergarments with the hormones swirling around. Staring at her reflection Lisbon admitted, like it or not, Leslie wasn't the only one finding Jane attractive.

She did, and she always had.

However, that realization wasn't doing either of them any good. Tonight of all nights Jane was going all noble on her and wasn't accepting offers. Not from her. Offers she clearly wasn't above making and would probably make again. Sobering at that embarrassing thought, Lisbon quickly decided a nice, _long_, head clearing shower was in order right about now.

Jane could, and would, wait while she got a grip on her trauma induced libidinous insanity.

Walking into her bathroom, Lisbon turned on the shower knowing Jane would take his cue from the sound. While he'd make his own cup, he would halt in making her tea until she was closer to getting dressed and coming down. She knew how he operated by now. Pulling her hair up on top of her head, Lisbon dropped her bra and panties in the hamper thinking what a waste of Leslie's lovely "gag" gift. She doubted she'd ever wear that set again. It wasn't the kind of lingerie a woman usually wore for herself and, the way her life was going, it didn't look like her knight in shining armor was entering her life any time soon.

Besides, if he did, Jane's too consuming presence in her life would chase him away in the end and, surprisingly, she didn't really care.

Opening the door and sliding under the shower, Lisbon turned her thoughts back to the realities at hand. Ones saying her best friend was on a slab in the morgue and Jane was hinting at the unthinkable. If that wasn't enough, he was also nudging at a door neither of them ever considered opening. He was shoving and she was letting him. Squirting body wash on the puff in her hand, she contemplated the earlier move that had gotten her "banished" to her bedroom alone yet again.

Jane had looked so deliciously serious she hadn't been able to help herself. She'd had to press her lips against his and she'd liked it. _Really_ liked it…To the point she'd gotten _slightly_ carried away…More than slightly carried away.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Lisbon scrubbed her face with her hands.

She so didn't need Leslie's death forcing her to face certain cold, hard facts like the ones she was contemplating. It was one thing knowing somewhere in the back of her mind she had feelings for Jane she shouldn't. It was another admitting _exactly_ what those feelings were and that her earlier actions were prompted as much by emotion as her desire to wipe her friend's death from her mind. Rinsing the suds from her body, Lisbon chuffed indignantly.

Why did everything have to suddenly get complicated?

Because, somewhere along the way, she'd up and done the unthinkable.

She'd fallen for Jane.

And while she was capable of fooling herself when necessary, Lisbon was a realist. She'd accepted a long time ago that all good fairy tales came to an end. Hers had when she'd looked at Leslie's cold, naked body stiffening in the grass. She'd been struck by how quickly everything could end without her ever getting that chance with Jane.

A chance she'd been pretty darn sure he might want as well.

Turning the faucet off and grabbing her towel, Lisbon wiped the moisture from her skin. Exiting the shower, she dabbed on deodorant and slipped into her bra and panties nixing the idea of applying any makeup at all. It wouldn't be the first time Jane had dealt with her freshly scrubbed face. It wouldn't be the last. Pulling the soft pink tank over her head, Lisbon contemplated the gray yoga pants before sliding into them as well. She'd rather be wearing the tank's matching gray and pink polka dot sleep shorts; but, that wasn't such a wise idea after earlier events. She needed to be adequately covered. Not temptingly on display.

Not that she thought Jane would be all that tempted given his iron control; but, here, that might be another matter.

After pulling her hair back into a sloppy ponytail, Lisbon surveyed her reflection. She looked refreshed. Not at all like she'd been thinking about her inconceivable feelings for Jane. Or about exactly whom he'd potentially implicated in Leslie's murder. As hard as it was to imagine, she'd been thinking about both things the whole time she was showering. One, she'd think about later. The other, if it proved true, would shatter her world as she'd known it. Ex-husbands didn't kill ex-wives. Not in her universe. Not when they were both _police officers_. Not when they'd gotten past their differences to become amicable again.

And not when she _knew_ them and had called them both "friend."

Casting one last glance in the mirror, Lisbon shook the mental cobwebs away and headed for the stairs. If she didn't miss her guess, Jane had busied himself reheating the kettle about the time the shower turned off. Bouncing down the stairs, Lisbon decided he should have her cup of tea ready and waiting when she joined him in the kitchen where seh knew he was still hanging out.

"Feeling better?" Jane halted in removing the tea bag from her cup to give Lisbon a once over deciding she looked better than she had all day.

"I'm feeling better." Lisbon agreed walking over to stand beside him.

"Good." Jane pressed her cup in her hands.

Taking a sip, Lisbon studied Jane over the top of her cup of pineapple chamomile tea which she was finding surprisingly good.

"You think Joe murdered Leslie." Lisbon grabbed the bull by the horns without preamble as she turned on her heel heading for her balcony cup in hand.

Even the idea made her want to hurl.

Wallowing down in her usual chair, Lisbon lifted both feet up onto the edge of the seat, wrapped her arms around her legs, and rested her chin on her knees. She honestly didn't know if Jane had followed her outside or not. She hoped he had. But, she really didn't care. There had been something about his face earlier when she'd been telling him about Liam that hadn't set well with her. Truthfully, it had been nagging at her ever since. She couldn't get her mind around the idea he'd proposed. She certainly didn't want to accept it even though she was giving it serious thought.

Feeling a masculine hand on her shoulder, she looked up into Jane's concerned eyes.

"I don't think you want me to answer that." Jane said quietly knowing the direction her thoughts had taken.

"I don't think you have to." Lisbon rested her hand over the hand resting on her shoulder. "I'm killing the bastard when we find him…It's as simple as that."

Jane studied her eyes realizing Lisbon was clueless she sounded exactly like him talking about Red John. And, as she'd always refused to allow him to kill that murderous bastard, he wasn't going to allow her to shoot Joe Dupres. Not without clear, justifiable cause. But, if the creeper pulled his handgun, all bets were off. He'd let Lisbon drop him in a New York minute. He'd even help her. He'd been target practicing on a regular basis over the last couple of years and had become something of a proficient shot if he said so himself…It didn't matter he still didn't like guns…Only that he knew how to use one.

Besides, he doubted his interference would be necessary as Lisbon should have cooled down somewhat by the time they finally located the police detective. Joe had gone underground a month or two ago on his own undercover assignment. He should surface in a week or two if everything went according to plans. Jane clicked his tongue at the thought the man had a perfect, airtight alibi. No one would believe a dedicated police officer would break cover to murder his ex-wife before going back underground. Crap like that just wasn't done. However, if he uncovered the proof she needed, Lisbon would jerk Dupres' sorry butt aboveground fast enough to make his head swim. When she did, his ass was grass. She'd throw the book at him.

From the look in Jane's eyes, that was as far as he'd let her go. She expected nothing different. She did the same with him and Red John all the time.

"You're doing no such thing." Jane pulled Lisbon to her feet before sliding into her place in the oversized chair and pulling Lisbon onto his lap. "Leslie wouldn't want you to act so foolishly and I'm not allowing you to destroy your life, or your career, in such a stupid way."

Lisbon rolled her eyes at the thought his proposed "date" was an equally stupid, career destroying move; but, he certainly wasn't trying to stop _that_. Moving on to more important things, she briefly wondered exactly what Jane thought he was doing plopping her down on his lap the way he was before deciding it didn't really matter how it looked. She seriously doubted anyone was standing on the surrounding balconies watching their every move at eleven 0 seven at night. Not that they'd get an eyeful of anything worth seeing anyway. There was nothing remotely sinful about their casual caresses.

They were neither sinful nor sexual in any way.

Jane was simply talking her down from her buzz induced insanity in the most expedient manner available. That happened to involve a certain degree of intimacy. Besides, they were always touching each other in moments of stress. Gentle pats and rubs that didn't mean anything beyond reassurance they were there for each other. Sometimes they even held hands. Jane had even been known to kiss her forehead on occassion.

It didn't mean anything.

"Now you know how I feel about you and Red John." Lisbon snuggled into his shoulder resting her hand against his chest. "While she wasn't family, Leslie was as close to a sister as I'll ever have."

"I'm sure she felt the same." Jane draped his arm lightly over her hip. "I'm also sure she wouldn't want you killing anyone. Not even Joe."

"Why not?" Lisbon felt his right hand splay across her stomach possessively. "He killed her."

"We don't know that, Teresa." Jane calmly reminded her. "Not conclusively. Not until I do a little snooping about."

Lisbon wisely refused to acknowledge that one. If Jane's _snooping about _involved anything she suspected it did, she _so_ didn't want to know about it. Nothing could get a case tossed faster than a little illegal B & E. Something Jane had excelled at over the years.

"We _do_ know that." Lisbon reminded him. "We just don't have the proof."

"Yeah, well, in our business, proof is everything." Jane dropped a kiss on her forehead fully understanding how Lisbon felt.

"That's not what you usually say." They both knew it wasn't.

"No, it's not; but, this case is different." Jane said. "We have to do everything as by the book as we can. When we get him, it has to stick…For you as well as Leslie."

"Your cases always stick in the end." Lisbon stated firmly.

"Yes, they do; but, we don't need this to be a usual Jane case." He corrected. "Everything needs to be smooth and above board without any drama for your sake. Bertram, Minelli, and LaRoche are looking too closely at this one. We can't give them any ammunition to use against you or any reason to pull you off of the case."

"I don't guess we can." Lisbon agreed. "I just don't get it."

"Don't get what?" Jane asked knowing exactly what she was going to ask.

"Why Joe would kill her." Lisbon stated. "They'd gotten past the initial animosity of their divorce. As I've already said, they were on friendly terms and had been for years."

"They were on better than friendly terms." Jane said quietly.

"You can't be serious." Lisbon said quietly thinking back over little things Leslie had let slip over the years indicating Jane's words were true. "Damn it all. She was still sleeping with him wasn't she?"

"I'd say so." Jane confirmed. "As usual, Leslie was playing with fire. What's unusual is she should have realized the danger. Obviously, she didn't. Your friend was too bright to make such a stupid mistake."

"Why would she realize any such thing?" Lisbon asked. "Joe was still messing with other women. He never stopped. As far as Leslie was concerned, _if_ they were sleeping together and that's a mighty big "if", it was purely casual. She wouldn't have let it become anything else.

I'd say anything happening between them mostly likely happened when they were both between relationships. Leslie was many things; but, she wasn't a cheater. She didn't like it when it happened to her so she wasn't about to do it to another woman."

"Well, Leslie was clearly involved with at least one other man during the time she was on-again, off-again with Joe if what you say about this Liam character is true." Jane gently reminded her.

"She definitely wasn't seeing Joe when she was with Liam." Lisbon stated firmly. "For one thing, she was undercover. For another…Crap, I'll bet that's when Joe got his claws back into Leslie…When Liam went back to Ireland before he contacted her again….

Damn it, I should have realized something was going on and I should have discouraged it. I thought he'd started sniffing around again. But, I was never sure. Leslie knew better than to tell me she was letting Joe anywhere near her like that again." Lisbon said quietly. "Then again, I'm not sure she had a whole lot of choice."

"What do you mean?" Jane entwined his fingers between Lisbon's.

"As much as Leslie tried to cut Joe out of her life, he wouldn't let her. Not completely. I should have realized he'd eventually worm his way back in. That physical spark between them never completely died although I know Leslie got over loving him a long time ago. She might let him back in her bed; but, she wasn't stupid enough to let him back in her heart to shatter it all over again.

If she hadn't been stupid enough to let him back in her life at all, she might still be alive." Lisbon said quietly.

"I doubt it." Jane held her a little tighter. "I suspect Joe would have killed her regardless. You said she was contemplating taking Liam up on his offer. I suspect Leslie broke it off with Joe and she either willingly volunteered the reason or he demanded to know so she told him.

You know the rest of the story. While Joe probably accepted her breaking things off to her face, he wasn't willing to accept the possibility of Leslie marrying another man. He wasn't willing to completely lose her."

"He lost her years ago." Lisbon reminded him softly.

"Not really." Jane corrected her. "He didn't lose her at all if you think about it. They might not be married or living together; but, they were hanging out and sleeping together. What more did he really want?"

"That's seriously screwed up." Lisbon stared into his eyes. "You do realize that?"

"Yes, I know that, and you know that." Jane said quietly. "But, a lot of people live their lives that way."

"I suppose they do." Lisbon agreed. "I really don't want to talk about it anymore. Do whatever you have to do and let me do what I have to do so we can get this bastard."

"I will and while I can't promise we'll have Leslie's killer behind bars by Saturday; I'll do my best." Jane continued knowing Lisbon would realize he was talking about their "date". "A certain detective being undercover presents a unique set of problems I've never encountered before. I'm sure I'll find my way around any difficulties. What I can say with certainty is whatever happens this next week, neither of us is worrying about this case either way. We're going to concentrate on each other and have a nice evening."

"I like the way that sounds." Lisbon searched his eyes suddenly realizing Jane was as unsure of this next step as she was.

"So do I." Leaning in, Jane gently kissed her lips before pulling away to stare into slightly dazed eyes. "Why don't you close your eyes? I know you're exhausted and I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."

"You conking on the couch?" Lisbon asked knowing he could settle himself in if he was.

"Maybe." Jane muttered noncommittally. "Whatever I decided, I'll tuck you in and lock everything down as I usually do."

Well, the tucking in part would be a new one; but, the locking down was standard operating procedure.

"Sounds good." Lisbon buried her face in his shoulder not all that surprised when his hands linked around her back.

The only bad part of his plan was she already knew, either way, he'd be gone long before she tumbled out of bed. That was S.O.P. as well and she hated it. They should be having breakfast together; but, they never did. When she walked downstairs the next morning, it was always as though Jane had never been.

Staring out over the night, Jane listened to her breathing even out as he decided maybe tomorrow would be different.

Maybe he'd be sitting at kitchen table reading the paper instead of long gone when she finally ambled downstairs in all her grouchy, bedheaded glory.

It would be that first innocuous step in subtly changing the direction of their relationship.

And one neither of them would ever regret.


End file.
